Finally Found
by kyla713
Summary: They were best friends. Their friendship was the one constant in their lives. But should her heart hurt this much at the thought of losing him? And why couldn't he stop his body from reacting whenever she touched him? Stupid hormones.
1. Original WitFit One Fell Swoop

**A/N: Throughout the time I have been writing witfits (although not nearly as much as I used to and probably should), there have been several that I have had readers request that I continue. And while some just don't speak to me anymore once I am finished with the witfit, there are some that stick around and it only takes one little thing to bring them to mind and give me the urge to work on them again because I loved the characters so much. **

**This was one such witfit. I was listening to music at one day, and the song "Finally Found" by Honeyz, and these two popped in my head right off the bat. I've been working on it off and on ever since, hoping that I could someday finish it. And I know I've been very inconsistent as of late with my updates since the summer started, but unfortunately, the summertime is not conducive to my writing at all with all the real life issues that crop up over the summer each year. **

**And of course, this summer has been especially sad due to the tragic passing at Comic Con this year of mad4hugh. This lovely woman had been one of my readers since the beginning of ABC and while I was still writing The Office with tby789, and I had the pleasure of conversing with her on occasion through the years. She is sorely missed, and ericastwilight and I have teamed up once again to write a collab for a compilation being put together by Fandom4TwiFanG, raising money to donate in Gisela's memory to the Alzheimer's Association. Please visit fandom4twifang . blogspot . com for more information. **

**I am reposting the original witfit here so if anyone is interested in where it began, you don't have to go searching through all my witfits to try and find it. This Edward was one of my favorites that I wrote in one of these, and I hope you enjoy the story. It will be short, and the next part after the Bella pov that I will be posting tonight as well should be posted on Tuesday, as I will be away for the remainder of the weekend. I also hope that with summer coming to an end and school starting up again soon that I will be getting back to work on my other WIPs as well. Thank you all for your patience once again. **

* * *

**Original WitFit Prompt**: **Phrase Catch**: Repeat the following phrase to yourself five times, open a blank document and begin: "One fell swoop."

* * *

"Edward, I really think we should just be friends," Heidi, my girlfriend of six months, told me outside the cafeteria at lunch.

My heart flew up into my throat as I adjusted my glasses. "What? Why?"

"I really just think we should see other people. We're just too different," she replied in an overly sugary sweet tone, with her hand resting on my chest. "You're just not my type."

"Sure. Right. And you couldn't have figured this out six months ago?" I retorted bitterly to disguise the hurt she'd just caused me.

"Sorry," she said, her eyes glazing over with the fakest alligator tears I'd ever seen. "Maybe you could ask Bella out. Everyone knows that she and Jasper are just _so_ wrong for each other, and you two would be _so_ cute. Don't tell me you've never thought about it."

"She's my oldest and closest friend, Heidi," I countered, though slightly forced.

_Face it, Cullen. What guy, in his right mind and not gay, has a girl like Bella for one of his best friends, and doesn't have at __**least**__ one dirty little fantasy about her once puberty and hormones hit? Perfect ass, breasts you just want to cup and squeeze through those tight little shirts she wears. Lips you've spent __**way**__ too much time daydreaming about around…_

"Please," Heidi scoffed, interrupting my train of thought and rolling her eyes. "Everyone sees it, even your best buddy, Jasper."

"Why do you keep going on about Jasper? What, do _you_ want him or something?" I snapped back at her, attempting to veer my mind off Bella.

"Maybe if he were available and interested," she hinted, nudging my arm slightly.

I gaped at her in complete astonishment for a moment and then turned to head to class.

**x-x-x**

"I'm quite disappointed in you, Cullen," Mr. Banner said as he set my lab report on the table in front of me, with a circled, red 'F' on the cover.

Ever since he'd switched my lab partner from Bella to Eric Yorkie at the beginning of last term, I'd had to work twice as hard to even keep a 'C' average in a class that had always been an easy 'A' for me. Whenever he'd actually _shown up_ for class, he never pulled his weight, expecting his 'brainiac lab partner' to do all the work.

However, this was the first 'F' I'd ever gotten in my entire life.

Exiting the classroom after the bell, I ran to the bathroom to empty the contents of my stomach.

**x-x-x**

"Are you okay, Edward?" Bella asked worriedly as I stepped out, running her hand over my forehead.

"Yeah. You know, just not feeling too well," I replied with a non-committal shrug.

"Hey, Cullen!" I heard an angry voice yell down the hall and looked up to see my best friend, Jasper, storming toward me. "I thought we were friends, man."

"Of course, we are. Wha—" His fist connecting with my jaw cut me off, hurdling me to the floor.

"Jas, what the hell are you doing?" Bella exclaimed as she crouched beside me, shaking her head and looking up at him.

"You want him? Fucking have him. I'm done competing," he seethed and turned on his heel to storm away.

"You okay?" she asked quickly and when I nodded, she stood to follow him. "Jasper, stop!"

**x-x-x**

Walking up the driveway toward my house after school with a split lip and a sore jaw, I was startled to find my father's car parked there. He wasn't due home until after six, so for him to be home at that hour worried me.

"Dad?" I called out as I came through the front door, dropping my bag by the coat rack.

"In here, son," I heard his voice echoing out of the living room, and when I stepped into the entryway, the scene before me broke me.

My father was in his chair with his hands tented in front of him, his head hung slightly. On the other side of the coffee table, my mother sat on the couch with tears streaming down her face and her lip quivering.

"What's happened?" I asked cautiously.

"Edward, please sit down," my father replied, looking up to me with red-rimmed eyes.

The sight caused my breath to catch in my throat, as the only time I'd ever seen my father cry was when my grandma died when I was five years old. My dad had been a pillar of strength throughout my entire life, and it terrified me to see him so obviously shattered.

"No, I want to know what's going on here," I stated adamantly, my eyes shifting back and forth between my parents.

They shared a brief glance and my dad looked down first, visibly swallowing hard. "Your mother's leaving me, Edward."

My widened gaze flew to her instantly, and she refused to meet my eyes.

"And she's taking you with her."

"What? No!" I exclaimed, shaking my head violently. "What the fuck, Mom?"

"Son, don't use that language with your mother," my dad said in an attempt to be stern, but his voice was weak.

"It's what needs to be done, Edward," my mother replied tearfully.

"That's horseshit!" I bellowed, both my parents' eyes moving up to me at my continued use of profanity. I'd always been a good kid, always respectful and doing what I was told, just as they'd raised me. But this was a blow out of nowhere. "How about both of us staying _here_ with Dad, where we belong?"

My father looked at my mother and shook his head as he stood. "You tell him. I can't."

It was only then that I saw the tumbler of straight scotch in his hand, as he stood and walked to the window, draining it and then setting it back down on the table to fill it again. Yet another sign that this couldn't be good at all; my father rarely drank, and _never_ in the middle of the day.

"Edward, we're moving to California. With your uncle, Marcus," my mother started, and my brow furrowed, returning my gaze to my father and his head was lowered again. "I didn't mean for this to happen, honey. But it did."

My eyes widened more as I turned back to her, shaking my head in disbelief. "Just the television, right? All those nights, while Dad was out busting his ass, you were here screwing his _brother_?"

Her eyes lowered to the floor with no response.

"Edward, don't. It's not all her fault," my dad said, shaking his head as he looked over at me.

"The hell it's not!" I yelled back, whipping my glasses off my face and hurling them at the fireplace.

"Edward, what happened to your lip?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

"Well, it's nice to know _one_ of my parents fucking notices," I snarled at my mother and then walked up to him, shaking my head. "Dad, I'm seventeen. I want to stay. This is my home, my friends are here, my family is here. I can get a job and…"

"Son, I don't want you to go. But I'm not home enough to be a good enough parent for you," my dad replied sadly, and I could see the hurt and regret written in his eyes.

A growl built in my chest and I turned my glare to my mother, feeling my nostrils flaring. "I hate you! You've ruined _everything_."

**x-x-x**

Sitting on my roof outside my window, I sipped the beer I had taken from the fridge while my parents were 'discussing arrangements', uncaring of the chill in the air around me.

"I've heard that shit's _really_ bad for you," a soft voice carried over to me, and I looked over to see Bella standing on the roof at the top of a ladder she'd obviously just placed there.

"Who fucking cares," I mumbled, tipping the beer back again and choking it down.

She lowered down beside me, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. "I'm really sorry about Jas earlier."

"That wasn't even the tip of the iceberg of my day, Bella," I replied, shaking my head and then looking over to her. "I'm moving."

Her face fell suddenly and her skin blanched, her breath shuddering. "You're what?"

"Yeah. The golden couple, Dr. and Mrs. Cullen, are getting a divorce. And my mother is moving us to California to live with her sugar daddy. Good old Uncle Marcus," I sneered, looking down to the shingles between my legs.

Her arm moved from around me and wrapped around her own legs, and I glanced over to her to find her lip trembling and tears welling in her eyes.

"What is it?" I asked, suddenly worried about her shift in demeanor. I knew she'd be upset, but not this upset. I wasn't gone yet.

"Nothing," she replied, and then looked over at me. "I just don't know what I'm gonna do without you."

"You'll be fine. You're a strong girl and I'll still call and all…"

"I'm pregnant," she interrupted me and my eyes shot over to her again. "Jas broke up with me, and I'm pregnant. And I'm scared to death. And now, I'm going to be alone, too."

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her against my chest, gently stroking her hair as she cried against me.

In **one fell swoop**, that day completely turned my life upside down. I'd lost my girlfriend, my best friend, my already struggling GPA, my family… and now the girl of my dreams was going to be left here alone, pregnant with my best friend's baby.

"I know it's completely selfish of me right now, with everything that's going on with you. But I can't lose you, too," she cried, wrapping her arms around my waist tightly.

Pressing my lips against her hair, I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath, hugging her more securely. "I'll find away, Bella. I won't leave you."


	2. Chapter 1 Rooftop Confessions

**Chapter One—Rooftop Confessions **

Gazing at my tiny baby girl lying on Edward's chest in the glider rocker across the room, both of them fast asleep, I stood in the doorway, simply watching them. It was the first quiet moment I could remember in the eight weeks since her arrival and I took advantage of the moment to reflect on the last year or so that had passed.

Never in my life would I have imagined my world so drastically turned up on its end, and all before the age of eighteen.

The night I sat in that bathroom, holding the long white stick between both of my fists, I was petrified to let go and turn it over. My parents would kill me. They were under the impression that their little girl was still a virgin and the only male contact she had was with their geeky next door neighbor—the Cullens' boy. No worries there. I could already hear my mother crying about how she wanted something different for me than what she had, even though she claimed to have no regrets. I could see my dad's stern face, trying to come across angry while I watched his heart breaking through his eyes.

And then, there was Jasper. He would be graduating in June and going off to college, and things hadn't even been mediocre between us in months. Lots of fighting and confusion of where we would stand with each other once he left. I was a junior with another year left of high school; honestly, we saw the breakup coming long before that afternoon. And after that, the last thing he would want was to be tied down to Forks by me with a kid. Especially with the accusations that came along with said breakup.

My only consoling thought was that I _did_ still have that "geeky boy next door", my best friend of more than ten years, Edward. I felt horrible over him getting caught in the middle of the fight between me and Jasper, and all over stupid rumors being spread about the two of us by Edward's newly ex-girlfriend, Heidi. Completely baseless, but Edward ended up with a split lip anyway and I got dumped in the school parking lot.

I intended on going over to Edward's house right after school, but when I saw Dr. Cullen's car in the driveway _way_ earlier than it should have been, I decided to wait. I only hoped that they weren't being too hard on him for the "F" on his Biology report that day or the "fight."

However, that left me with a lot of time on my hands to think that night as well. My period was ten days late, when my body usually ran like clockwork. The last time Jasper and I had been together was a few weeks before, and it was a heat of the moment kind of thing, realizing too late that we hadn't used protection. I told him I'd gotten my period the week before so he would stop freaking out on me every single day until I did, praying that mother nature would eventually back me up.

But as I turned the stick over, my hands began to shake and tears sprung to my eyes. There were two dark blue lines in that window…I was pregnant.

After washing my face in an attempt to clear the tear tracks from my cheeks, I went to my bedroom and looked outside toward the Cullens' house. Edward was sitting on the roof beside his window, which in itself, wasn't abnormal, even for a chilly, March evening. What _was_ abnormal was the fact that he wasn't wearing a coat and was drinking what looked like a beer. I grabbed the oversized flannel jacket I'd borrowed from my dad and went outside, resting a ladder against the side of his house and climbing up until I stood only a few feet from him.

"I've heard that shit's _really_ bad for you," I said softly in a light voice, trying to tone down the seriousness in his demeanor.

"Who fucking cares," he mumbled into the mouth of his beer, tipping it back and taking a long swig, his face wincing slightly at the taste.

I moved across the roof to sit beside him, wrapping my arm around him comfortingly. I had only heard Edward swear once before in all the time I'd known him, and that was after breaking his toe in gym in my Freshman year. I knew how upset he had to be to say something like that. "I'm really sorry about Jas earlier."

"That wasn't even the tip of the iceberg of my day, Bella," he replied with sarcasm in his tone, shaking his head and looking over to me. "I'm moving."

My heart stilled in that instant, positive that I had heard him wrong. There was just no way…and then I remembered Dr. Cullen's car in the driveway earlier in the afternoon. Was he transferring? _No._ He was the best neurosurgeon in the state and he loved working at that hospital. I _had_ to have heard Edward wrong. "You're what?"

"Yeah. The golden couple, Dr. and Mrs. Cullen, are getting a divorce. And my mother is moving us to California to live with her sugar daddy. Good old Uncle Marcus," he said bitterly with his eyes lowered, holding the beer bottle with both hands and his elbows resting on his knees.

I couldn't believe it. Edward was leaving. Just when I didn't think the day could get any worse for either of us, it dealt us that final blow. I wrapped my arms tightly around my own legs, trying to ward off the tears that were beginning to form again. I couldn't believe that on top of everything else, I was losing my best friend, too. Just when I needed him the most.

"What is it?" Edward's voice came across to me in concern, and I felt his eyes on me, watching me.

"Nothing," I replied and looked over at him. It wasn't _his_ problem; _he_ didn't get me into the situation I was in. "I just don't know what I'm gonna do without you."

"You'll be fine. You're a strong girl and I'll still call and all…"

"I'm pregnant," I interrupted him and watched his eyes return to me quickly in surprise. I felt my cheeks flush in embarrassment with what he must have thought of me after hearing those two simple words. But I needed my best friend at that moment. "Jas broke up with me, and I'm pregnant. And I'm scared to death. And now, I'm going to be alone, too."

Edward's arms came around me securely and pulled me against him, holding and comforting me as only he could. He knew that stoking my hair the way he was would both calm me and allow me to cry it out. That he didn't need to say a single word right then, just to be there for me. It was what made him my best friend in the world, and exactly what terrified me the most of losing.

"I know it's completely selfish of me right now, with everything that's going on with you. But I can't lose you, too." I continued to cry, hugging him tightly and feeling his embrace secure around me as well.

"I'll find a way, Bella. I won't leave you," he replied with his lips pressed to my hair and rubbing my arm through the flannel. "Come on."

I looked up to him as he stood, holding his hand out for mine. "What are you doing?"

"I'm getting you inside and out of this cold," he said with a sigh, reaching down to take my arm as I sat frozen in place and lifting me up to stand.

He guided me to his bedroom window and began climbing in, never letting go of my hand. "What about your parents?"

Edward gave me a sarcastic look with a raised eyebrow. "My dad went back to the hospital, probably just to get away from my mother, and I really couldn't care less about what she thinks. She's got her own mess to sort out and she brought it on herself. She'd be a goddamned hypocrite if she said anything at this point. You're more important than anything right now, Bella. And let's face it, your parents think I'm the farthest possible thing from a threat to corrupting their sweet little girl. I doubt Chief Swan will call out the SWAT team."

For the first time in what felt like days, I genuinely laughed, even as tears continued to flow down my cheeks. He helped me into his room and I shivered as the warmth from the space heater just inside the window struck me. In all the years I'd known Edward, we'd never been alone together inside each other's bedrooms, and not at all in several years, since I acquired boobs and he started showing the first traces of facial hair.

Yet, I didn't feel uncomfortable being in there, even when he closed the window and made his way over to his bed, sitting down and patting the space beside him. I quickly crossed the room and climbed up next to him, returning to his embrace as he leaned back against the headboard.

"God, you are freezing, Bella," he said when I hugged against his side, pulling his comforter over both of us and kissing my forehead. My fingers gripped the front of his shirt, my tears flowing again and soaking through the fabric. I didn't think I had any more left after all the crying I'd done in my bathroom that night, but apparently, I was wrong. He continued to gently stroke my hair until my sobs quieted and my head rested on his chest with my eyes closed. "Does Jasper know?"

I pinched my lips tightly together and shook my head, curling my body closer to him. "I just found out and I have no idea how I'm going to tell him. He thinks I've had my period this month, so he probably wouldn't believe me, anyway. And my parents didn't even know I was dating him, so just imagine their surprise when I tell _them_ I'm pregnant. Then try and keep my father from hunting Jasper down when he leaves for Texas after graduation. And now with you leaving, too … I'm scared shitless, Edward."

"You don't need to be. I told you, I'll figure something out," Edward replied and I felt his lips press against my hair again, his hold tightening protectively around me. "I won't leave you alone, Bella. I promise."

I fell asleep in his arms, waking around three when he gently shook me and walked me home, waiting until I was safely inside my window before jogging back to his own house. Once I crawled into my own bed, I lay awake for hours with a million thoughts running through my mind. I couldn't believe the mess I had gotten myself into, one giant cliché.

Small town girl knocked up at seventeen by a bad boy ex-boyfriend, who would soon be halfway across the country without a care in the world. Crying on the shoulder of her best friend, while wishing she could close her eyes and wake up again, discovering that it was all just a horrible nightmare.

I sounded like a really bad after school special, where the girl ended up a single mom, working as a diner waitress.

When my alarm went off at six, I slammed my hand on the snooze button and covered my head with the blankets. School was the last place I wanted to be, but after several minutes of battling with my incessant thoughts, I realized that home was even less appealing. I couldn't look my parents in the eye yet—not until I figured out how I was going to break the news to them.

So I rushed through my morning routine and got out the door a half hour later, barely uttering a quick goodbye to them as they were coming down the stairs. I sat in the nearly empty parking lot at school with my forehead resting on the steering wheel of my truck for almost an hour, trying to calm myself. My attention was suddenly drawn to the loud creaking of my passenger door opening and a body falling hard into the seat. I looked over to find a soaking wet Edward sitting beside me and only then did I notice the pounding of the rain on the metal above my head.

"I've got an idea, and you'll probably hate it. But just hear me out because it just might be the best option all around," he said, speaking so quickly that I almost didn't understand him. "I've been up all night thinking about this."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, shaking my head with a creased brow, unnerved by the anxiety in his demeanor.

Of all the things he could've suggested, what left his lips next was the last thing I had ever expected, something that could change everything for the both of us.

Edward took a deep breath and finally brought his gaze from the roof of my cab and over to me. "I'll say the baby is mine."

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**A/N: Catch ya Tuesday. *hugs***


	3. Chapter 2 Just a Suggestion

**A/N: Got this ready just a little bit early and decided to post. The next chapter should be posted in the next day or two. How you enjoy :)  
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**Chapter Two—Just a Suggestion**

My eyes felt as if they might pop out of my head, shocked by his statement and immediately began shaking my head. "No. No way. I'm not going to let you take the fall for this. Your parents will kill you. My dad will _definitely_kill you. Not to mention that it would also give credence to all the rumors going around and make you the asshole and me the slut. My reputation is already going to be ruined, more than it already is. I won't let that happen to you. This isn't your responsibility."

"Bella, I'm not leaving you to go through this alone," Edward replied through tense, clenched teeth and looked over at me. "And nothing short of drastic circumstances will convince my mother to leave me here. She already reminded me this morning that I need to start packing. My dad would never allow me to skirt a responsibility like this, which is mine, even though this baby _isn't, _because you're my friend and I promised you I wouldn't leave. I don't care about my reputation. No one really likes me, anyway. And _we_ both know you are not a slut."

I sighed heavily, lowering my hands and gaze to my lap. "I can't ask you to do this, Edward. You have school and a future ahead of you. You shouldn't be punished for someone else's mistake."

Edward slid across the seat toward me, wrapping his arms around me as a heavy sob escaped my body. I hated the fact that for a split second, I entertained the idea behind his proposal and even had to admit, it made _some_ sense. It would keep Edward there with me, and I wouldn't be alone when I was shunned at school with the proverbial "P" sewn to my chest. When my parents were humiliated by their teenage daughter getting pregnant and dropping out of school to raise a child alone. I knew the kind of guy Edward was, one that would uproot his entire life for me and a baby that was, in fact, _not_ his. I should have seen it coming the night before and stopped the thought before it had an opportunity to take root in his mind… or mine. "You're not asking me to, I _want_ to. And I'm not asking you to be with me, or anything like that. I know you don't think of me that way. But I can be a _dad_. I would love this baby and never for one second make it think that he or she was a mistake."

My head shot up from his shoulder with tears streaming down my face, fumbling for words. "Edward… I didn't mean… I would _never_…"

"I know _you_ wouldn't ever say or think anything like that," he replied emphatically, his eyes seemingly piercing into mine. "But Jasper won't want this. He's just not the kind of guy who would be happy settling down with a wife and kid at eighteen. Not that he wouldn't do so if it came down to it, but this baby deserves more than being someone's obligation. And so do you."

"It'll be no different for you. We'd be an obligation that, no matter how you slice it, isn't yours to take," I said sadly and lowered my eyes again.

"It would be a _lot_ different, Bella. I _want_ to be there," Edward murmured softly, lifting my chin to look at him.

I bit my bottom lip as I looked at him, pondering his words and the sincerity of his expression. Would I do this? _Could_ I do this? I knew he was right about Jasper; there was a chance he _would_ step up to the plate and take responsibility, but he would never _want_ to be there. We'd all end up miserable, including the baby. I _could_ take care of my child alone, but I wasn't naïve enough to believe the fantasy that it would be all hearts and roses. There would be around the clock feedings while trying to manage a menial job just to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table, shuffling day care and work, and still trying to be a good mother. But it still wasn't an easy decision to drag Edward into it all as well. "Can I think about it?"

Edward nodded and pressed his still chilled lips to my forehead. "Yeah, it's going to take at least a week for my mother to pack all her things anyway."

**x-x-x**

It _definitely_ wasn't an easy decision to make, but one that I knew couldn't wait. Before long, Edward would be gone and there were also only so many excuses I could make to my parents and teachers about my need to rush to the bathroom frequently to either pee or throw up. I was already getting worried looks at home, and that would soon lead to a doctor's office, or if up to my mother, an ER trip. And the cat would be out of the bag, and that was not how I wanted my parents to find out. It was also only a matter of time before I would start to show, a couple of months tops, and couldn't hide it anymore regardless.

So after a long talk with Edward, discussing every pro, con, and possible repercussion of his proposed arrangement, I agreed and we sat down first with my parents, and then with his. I could barely squeak out the words "I'm pregnant" to any of them, and froze when it came to the lie—that Edward was the father.

Edward, on the other hand, was composed and completely calm, while not undermining the seriousness of the situation, even when my father's face changed color at least a dozen times. My mother cried, as did Edward's when his father stood from the couch and looked at her.

"I'm not willing to turn my back on my child any more than he's willing to turn his back on his. Go to California if you want, but Edward stays with me," he said fiercely before leaving the room.

The color drained from Esme's face and she quickly rose to follow him, calling his name.

I turned my gaze to look at Edward, who sat beside me, holding my hand and his expression that of complete shock. "You okay?"

Edward slowly nodded but his eyes were still, unfocused. "I thought he would at least raise his voice, tell me he was disappointed and that I _had_ to stay," he paused, finally bringing his gaze back to mine. "Probably just the calm before the storm, I know. But he's _never_ spoken to my mother like that, even when she told him she was leaving him. I have to say, I'm kinda proud of him."

Once again, Edward was right about the "calm before the storm" and within a couple of days, Carlisle sat us down to talk. He listened obediently as his father, albeit more calmly than my dad, voiced his disappointment, having hoped that each of us would have been more responsible, and inquiring as to our plans for ourselves, the baby, and finally, for each other.

"Dad, I know this was completely unexpected and I don't know exactly what's going to happen. But I love Bella, and I love this baby, and I'm going to do everything I can for them. Even if it means holding off on college for a couple of years so I can work and take care of them."

"All right, stop right there," Carlisle spoke suddenly, holding up his hand to halt his son. "I'm disappointed, but not completely unsympathetic. I'm proud of you, both for taking responsibility and for feeling that you could come to me. But you have a scholarship, Edward. And I would like to see you both to finish school. I've been thinking about this a lot."

Both Edward and I sat speechlessly gazing at him, our hands folded nervously in our laps. I closed my eyes, terrified of what might emerge from him next. Was he going to tell us that we weren't ready? That we should give the baby up for adoption, or worse, terminate the pregnancy? I knew in my heart that neither was an option. I was very young, I understood that, but since finding out I was pregnant, I'd spent countless hours running my hand over my stomach, picturing my growing baby inside. Whether it was a boy or girl, what he or she would look like, imagining holding the tiny baby in my arms. In my mind and heart, I was already a mother, and I couldn't let my baby go. And I knew Edward felt the same way.

"Bella," I heard Carlisle say softly and lifted my teary eyes to look at him. "It's hard, taking care of a baby and trying to find a job without at least your high school diploma."

"I'm not giving up this baby. No matter what. I can do this…_we_ can do this. Edward and I can figure something out. I can't lose my baby. I won't," I said in a panic, shaking my head and folding my arms protectively around my abdomen.

"Bella. Bella, calm down," Carlisle replied in his unique, calm tone, coming to sit in front of us on the coffee table and resting his hands on my shoulders as Edward slid his arm around my waist and kissed my hair. "No one is going to make you give up your baby. I definitely wish you'd both waited a few more years and been a lot more secure in your lives, but that _is _my grandchild. I will do anything I can to help you both. I would even be willing to help tutor you at home once it becomes too difficult to go to school, if it's all right with your parents."

Edward seemed as stunned as I was by his father's offer; I felt it in the way his arm slackened slightly around me. Dr. Cullen was definitely exceeding any and all of my expectations, and we were both rendered speechless.

I also felt a tug of guilt in my gut when I caught the subtle lift of the corner of his mouth when he referenced "his grandchild". I almost broke into tears on the spot, revealing the horrible lie we'd told. However, Edward's arm securing around my waist again reminded me that I needed to hold it together—for him, for the baby, and for me. "You don't have to do that, Dr. Cullen. I know how busy you are with the hospital and everything."

"I'm never too busy for family, Bella. And if it will help you to get your diploma and Edward to concentrate on college, that's more important than anything," Carlisle replied, tapping his fingertips beneath my chin in a very fatherly gesture.

"Dad, you've been more understanding than I could have hoped for, but I was wondering if you might also consider allowing Bella to come live with us," Edward said, causing my stunned gaze to shoot over to him, but his eyes remained forward on his father.

"No," I voiced quickly, shaking my head and bringing both of them to look at me. "Dr. Cullen, that's really not necessary. I have no idea why Edward would think—"

"I wasn't saying tomorrow, Bella," Edward cut me off sharply, my eyes widening at his tone. "But once you get further along, I think it would be easier all the way around if you were here."

"Edward, I live right next door," I replied, blinking repeatedly as I tried to take in his demeanor.

"She does have a point, son," Carlisle added, looking to Edward himself and propping his elbows on his knees. "Bella honestly couldn't live much closer."

"For now, sure. But what about when the baby starts to move?" Edward blurted out and then his eyes lowered to his lap with a faint blush beginning to color his cheeks. "I mean, it would also be more convenient if Bella needed help with her schoolwork when the time came. But there are also things that I think I should be there for, too. If she needs something in the middle of the night, or if God forbid, something were to go wrong. We have a room right down here that we're not doing anything with, so Bella wouldn't have to worry about climbing all those stairs later on. And taking care of the baby after its born would be easier to handle as a team if we're under the same roof."

I sat speechless, gaping at Edward as he nervously rambled out his response. He really _had_ put a lot of thought into it all, just as he'd said, both the short and long term results of our decision, and unbidden tears began to form in my eyes. I knew I was over-reacting to the meaning behind his words, but just the idea that he'd even thought about being there for my baby's first movements and my crazy cravings, as well as the round the clock care after he or she was born, made my heart swell and pound.

Carlisle was silent for a moment, too, pursing his lips and leaning then against his folded hands, as he also seemed to be absorbing Edward's words. "Those are also very valid points. Let's just take things one step at a time and see what unfolds, hmm?"

Edward sighed and nodded as Carlisle patted his son's knee comfortingly before standing and leaving the room. He kept his eyes down, refusing to meet my gaze and driving his fingers into his hair on either side of his head.

I placed my hand on his, bending down slightly to see if he'd look at me. I could see his eyes dart toward me for a second before he groaned aloud.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that." His eyes finally met mine for the first time since he made his suggestion. "It was just a thought, and you know I don't always use my brain before I speak."

"Is it truly something you would want?" I didn't think his ears could redden more, but they did as he averted his gaze again. I wasn't sure why he felt so embarrassed but it was kinda cute and so _Edward_, I couldn't help but smile at him. I retracted his hand from his hair and his eyes finally rose to mine as I entwined my fingers between his, resting our joined hands on his thigh and kissing the warm skin of his cheek gently. "It was a very sweet thought. Thank you."

When I pulled away, I heard him softly sigh my name after I rose from my chair to leave the room, touching his fingers to the place where my kiss had been.


	4. Chapter 3 Ours

**A/N: Thank you all so much for the response and enouragement for this story. I really appreciate it and I'm so glad you love this Edward as much as I did while writing him. And thank you Erica for reading all these over for me. *hugs to all*  
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**Chapter Three—Ours **

That "thought" quickly became a reality a few weeks later. Once Carlisle had the time to mull things over, he completely agreed with the practicality of everything Edward had mentioned and thought it best not to wait until situation absolutely required it. And by the second week of April, I was officially a resident in the Cullen household.

My parents weren't entirely thrilled with the prospect of their daughter living under the same roof as the "boy who'd gotten her into this situation", and were very reluctant to even consider it at first. Finally, they went over to discuss things with Carlisle, where he'd explained what the terms would be; Edward and I would have separate bedrooms on different floors, we would be finishing school, and even with Carlisle working, we would not be unsupervised for long outside of school, and once Edward started college in the fall, not at all. He even surprised both Edward and I by even playing the card of the benefits of me living with a doctor.

As so often happens in a small town, the rumor mill surrounding us kicked into full swing. Mrs. Cullen had left for California as she'd planned, but when I suddenly moved in, the first rumor to spread was that I was "nailing Dr. Cullen"; which sorry, but…_no_! He could be _my_ father. To combat _those_ rumors, Edward and I decided to walk into school one day, holding hands.

Once again, Edward's unparalleled logic trumped mine. Things wouldn't seem nearly as bad, or difficult to explain, if we appeared as a couple before I was unable to hide my condition anymore, and no one would be really surprised anyway, especially Jasper. Then there would be less possibility of there being questions concerning the paternity of my baby, regardless of how close the time span. Not that I expected Jasper to contest it at all and take on responsibility that he didn't have to, but I didn't even want to risk the minute chance.

Then the inevitable came in early June. I was walking out of my doctor's office with Edward, both of us smiling over the first picture of the baby following my sixteen-week ultrasound. Neither of us noticed the approaching footsteps until we almost literally bumped into none other than Mrs. Cane, the recently remarried—and also pregnant—mother of Jessica Stanley.

"Oh, Bella dear. Jess told me there were rumors going around about you being in a delicate condition. How sad to see that it's true. For you and your poor parents. And this poor young man. What a shame."

Her sympathetic words might have had a different effect if there was an ounce of sincerity in them. Jessica Stanley and her mother were notorious for looking down their noses at anyone they viewed as being beneath them, which in their opinion, was pretty much the entirety of Forks. They were also known to be the starting point of any rumor mill that began circulating, even though Mrs. Cane could have been considered a frontrunner in the source of gossip herself. Six marriages at the age of thirty-seven, each one ending in a divorce that left her with a large settlement, since each husband was, for lack of a more sophisticated word, "loaded". And her seventh husband was no exception, and everyone whispered about what a "poor fool" he was, not learning from his predecessors and becoming bound to the woman not only in marriage, but through a child, as well. At the very least, he was smart enough to have a prenup signed…but still.

At any other time, I might have had a snarky retort in response to her attempt at demeaning me, my parents, and my best friend in the world— not to mention, my poor, innocent baby. But just then, all I could feel were the hormones raging inside me and it took everything I had in me not to burst into tears right there.

Luckily, in his very special way, Edward knew exactly what I needed at that moment. I didn't need a knight in shining armor defending my honor, but his strong, supportive arm around my shoulders to guide me away—and that was exactly what I got, accompanied by his lips brushing gently against my hair. "Don't let her get to you, Bella. It will only give her words substance."

When we reached the car, he pulled me against his chest and I welcomed the comfort of his embrace, curling my body into him. "Like her daughter is perfect. Jessica Stanley has popped more morning after pills than that woman can even fathom."

"Hell, she probably even supplied them for her," Edward mumbled into my hair and I couldn't help the teary laugh that bubbled up inside me. "Mission accomplished."

I lifted my head from his chest to look at him and he gently kissed my brow. "Thank you, Edward. Again."

**x-x-x**

Following that afternoon in front of the doctor's office, Edward and I sat down with Carlisle and my parents in the Cullen living room. I felt very uncomfortable with the idea of going back to school, knowing that the confirmation of my pregnancy would spread like wildfire amongst the entire student body, if it hadn't already. The secret would be out far sooner than I was prepared for, and that also meant that Jasper would hear the news as well, since he was still a week away from graduating.

Of course, Edward and I kept that bit of information to ourselves, but he agreed that going back to school would bring about too much unnecessary stress on me. Our parents supported our decision and the morning after, mine went to the school to arrange for me to take my finals at home, to which the principal reluctantly agreed.

I cried for a good two hours straight that evening when Jasper called Edward, screaming at him through the phone about betrayal and knives in the back, and such other things. I felt horrible for shattering a years-long friendship over a lie, all because I was a coward. Edward laid with me on my bed the entire time, holding me as I cried against his chest. To his credit, Carlisle never said a word, though I did hear his footsteps passing my open door periodically.

Once finals were over, I rarely left the house all summer, except for my doctor's appointments. My waist was dramatically expanding, and while I enjoyed my nights of running my hand over my swollen abdomen and talking to the baby, as did Edward, I couldn't bear the judgmental stares and whispers.

I kept waiting for the baby to start moving and had even brought up my concerns to my doctor when all the books clearly said that I should feel _something_. To be on the safe side and ease our worries, the doctor performed another ultrasound. Edward's hand held mine securely as the doctor drizzled the cool gel on my stomach and he closed his eyes, waiting for the instrument to make contact with my skin. He'd tried so hard all along to be my rock through everything, but at that moment, it was hard not to notice the worry lines creasing his forehead and his tight lips. I ran my thumb over his knuckles in an attempt to calm him, but he never budged until he heard the most beautiful sound to ever meet our ears—the soft swishing of a tiny beating heart.

Edward's lips pressed firmly to my hand until his eyes rose to the ceiling, glistening with welled tears. "Thank God. Our baby is okay?"

The doctor's voice held an audible smile as he spoke to Edward. "Your baby is just fine. Have you thought about whether you'd like to know the sex?"

The question barely registered with me as my eyes still remained locked on Edward, running his words over and over again in my mind. They weren't "the baby" or "her baby", but "_our_ baby". In the back of my mind, I knew I shouldn't have looked so surprised, since that was exactly how it was supposed to appear to the outside world. But to hear him actually _say_ it had an effect on me that I'd never expected.

"Bella, what do you think?" Edward asked as his fingers caressed mine, breaking me out of my reverie. "He can tell us if we're having a son or a daughter. Do we want to know?"

I felt the tears escape the corners of my eyes and I nodded, clearing my throat so I could speak. "I do."

Edward smiled and then looked back to the doctor. "Then yes, we do."

"Well, it seems that she is just very content with the comfortable home her mother is giving her," the doctor said with a small smirk, clicking a button that sent a printout to the machine below. I loved my doctor; despite our situation and ages, he never made us feel any different from any other set of expectant parents, or judged in any way. If he had even a hint of his own personal feelings about it, no one would ever know.

"She?" Edward asked with wide eyes and the beginnings of a wide smile. "We're having a girl?"

"You're having a very healthy baby girl," he confirmed, handing the small slip of paper to Edward and then looking to me with gentle eyes. "And try not to worry if you don't feel her move much yet. Sometimes it's difficult to recognize with first pregnancies. But I have no doubt this little one will make her presence known before too long. I'll leave you to get cleaned up."

"Thank you, doctor," Edward and I both said simultaneously as the doctor handed me a towel to wipe off my stomach and stepped out of the room. The door barely latched when Edward's forehead fell to my shoulder and I brought my free hand to run over his hair as a long breath of obvious relief escaped him. "You called her _our_ baby."

His eyes rose to meet mine and then he leaned forward to kiss my cheek, whispering softly against my skin. "She _is_ our baby, Bella. I may not have helped to create her, but in every other way that matters, she is and always will be my daughter."

My heart pounded erratically in my chest as he took the towel from my hand and cleared my skin of the last remnants of the gel, before turning around so I could change back into my clothes. I leaned against the exam table as much as I could to keep my trembling legs from giving out beneath me, sending me toppling to the floor.

I had never doubted Edward's sincerity in his devotion to me, the pregnancy or the baby, but so much changed in that room that day.

His love for the little girl nestled inside me showed clearly through his actions _and_ words. The fear in his eyes when we thought something might be wrong, the relief when we heard the confirmation that I had a strong, healthy baby inside me, and the pure, unadulterated joy at learning that I was having a girl. I was certain that he would have been just as thrilled if the coin had fallen on the other side, but I also knew from the brief conversations we'd had on the subject, he'd been hoping for a girl.

And once we got home and shared the news with our parents, it became clear that he was not the only one. Carlisle's eyes had a gleam in them that no one had seen in months, since Esme walked out on him. My mother, while still not overly thrilled at my having a baby at barely eighteen come November, had tears welling in her eyes as she looked at the ultrasound with the clear print on the image of "girl". And finally, my father, attempting to appear as stoic as possible and sharing my mom's lingering discontent, couldn't hide the twitch of his mustache, even when he tried to cover by stating "good thing, because I am clueless as to what to do with a boy. I've only ever raised a daughter."

Edward took my hand and smiled at me as our parents spoke amongst themselves. "I think he had his heart set on another set of baby browns and curls, Bella."

I rolled my eyes; my father could barely look at me. "I don't know about that. He's not too happy with me right now."

"Give him time. He probably just feels like he lost his little girl."

I felt tears well up in my eyes at that thought and gave him a small smile. "Would you feel like that with _our _daughter?" I found that I really liked saying "our daughter" and had done so throughout the day.

Edward looked away, rubbing a hand over his mouth. A wealth of emotions passed through his features for several seconds before he nodded. "Even now, with her not even being born yet, if I lost her to someone else, yeah, it would hurt like hell."

There was so much conviction, love and loyalty in his voice that I couldn't help but feel warmth fill my heart. However, it was the fear within that statement that worried me.

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**Update again in another day or so. :)**


	5. Chapter 4 Those Stupid Hormones

**Chapter Four—Those Stupid Hormones**

School began again in September and I started my online courses to complete my credits required for graduation. The heat of summer lingered on, and as I entered my eighth month, my desk chair became nearly impossible for me to find a comfortable position in for as long as I needed to be. It wasn't long at all before Carlisle insisted on buying me a simple laptop that would allow me to sit on the bed or the couch more comfortably.

More often than not, I chose the living room to wait for Edward to come home each night from Seattle. The commute for him was long, having to leave each morning before the sun rose and not returning until around dinner, if not after, but he never complained once. I could see the disappointment in his eyes though when the baby did begin to move. She was so calm all throughout his weekends, and always seemed to "settle in for the night" before he got home during the week, so he still had never felt her. And the fact that my pregnancy was about a month or so from being over, he knew his chances were dwindling rapidly.

One night after we'd all turned in for the evening, I laid in the dark, running my hand over my very swollen abdomen, unable to sleep. So I decided to have a chat with our little girl.

"You know, Mommy and Daddy love you so much," I started, still incapable of refraining a smile any time Edward was referred to as "Daddy", regardless of whose lips the word fell from. "But I also know that he would love to feel you in there before you come out to meet us. And tomorrow is Saturday, so he's going to be home _all_ day. What do you say you wake up for a little while and give him a surprise then, huh? I know the doctor said you like the sound of Daddy's voice, and I have to agree with you, it _is_ pretty relaxing. But do you think we can manage that for him?"

My breath caught in my throat as I felt my belly rise beneath my palm and tears welled in my eyes as I began kicking the covers off my legs. "Oh my God, Edward!"

As I rose from my bed, I heard the thundering footsteps from the room above me, followed by the rumbling down the stairs. Before I could even reach my bedroom door, it swung open with Edward's frazzled and still slightly sleep-laden form appearing there. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Pregnancy is a very strange thing, I came to realize. Just when I believed that even the mere _thought_ of the act that had gotten me into that predicament—the aching back, swollen ankles, and an all-around feeling of being the least attractive I'd ever been—would send me running away screaming, I was proven wrong. Because there stood a shirtless Edward, with his sleep pants hung low on his hips and hair frantically tousled from sleep, and I'd never been more aroused in my life.

In all the time I'd known him, I had never once looked at Edward _that_ way, but right at that moment, I found it difficult to see him in any other. I noticed everything I hadn't before—the amazing green of his eyes normally hidden behind glasses, his thin, smooth lips, and a jaw that could likely cut glass with its intense ridges. His nicely contoured chest and abdomen took me by surprise as well, and with a light dusting of hair that had not been there even the previous summer when I was still his neighbor, coming over to swim with him in the Cullens' pool. And the arms—don't get me started on the arms.

_Damn these pregnancy hormones!_

That thought, combined with the worried, expectant look on Edward's face that had since been joined by Carlisle's behind him, brought me back to the moment, and I shook my head. "Nothing, I'm fine. She just started moving again."

Edward's eyes widened, while his father sighed in relief before turning to go back upstairs. "Really? Is she still moving now?"

His hand rested just below mine and I began backing toward the bed to sit down again. We waited for several moments without a single hint of motion from the baby and I watched his features subtly fall again. "She was _just_ moving, I swear."

Edward forced a small smile and then leaned down to kiss my stomach gently, whispering against my shirt. "It's okay, sweetheart."

I could hear the sadness in his tone and I sighed, running my hand over his hair to the back of his neck. "Just wait a minute," I whispered, leaning back on my elbow and looking down to my stomach. "Come on, baby girl. You were just moving for Mommy. How about a little nudge for Daddy, hmm?"

I kept my voice soft as I lightly rubbed over the bump, but still, nothing.

"Bella, it's really okay. I know she doesn't move for me," Edward replied in a gentle tone, pressing his lips to my forehead. He tried so hard to be understanding about it all, but I could always see his fears coming through. That somehow, subconsciously, the baby knew that he wasn't her real father—he didn't buy into the doctor's theory at all. And no matter how I tried to soothe him, assuring him that biology was only half the battle with children—as I'd read in the adoptive and step-parenting chapter in one of my many books—at best, it seemed he only half believed me.

"But I want you to feel it so badly," I said with tears welling in my eyes.

"I know, and I'd love to feel her, too. But she's happy and healthy, and that's all that _really_ matters, right?" Edward murmured against my hair.

Then suddenly, a sharp gasp escaped us both as a wave rolled across my stomach beneath his hand and I clasped it firmly with mine. And it was times like that, when it was easy to forget how young we were, our situation, and as in that moment, what we were to each other. In his excitement over the feeling he'd longed for, he lifted his eyes to look at me and gave an ecstatic smile seconds before his lips sealed over mine. I froze in shock for an instant and then my earlier musings returned in a rush, bringing me to respond eagerly to his kiss.

Another sharp kick from beneath our hands halted our movements and we both stared at each other, slightly dazed as we pulled back.

"That was another kick," he said distractedly as he swallowed hard.

"Yes, it was," I whispered back, my eyes searching his nervously.

"That was amazing," he replied with a heavy breath and then he blinked, pulling his hand away from me and standing. "Thank you. For calling me down and all. I should probably get back upstairs before my dad starts thinking anything. Good night, Bella."

I watched as he stammered while he backed out of the room, stumbling over my sneaker and catching his balance again before hurrying out.

_What the hell did we just do?_ Admittedly, it was an emotionally charged moment, and the elation that had visibly run through him was evidence of how much it meant to him. But I wasn't expecting a kiss, and a damn good one at that. I'd felt his lips on my forehead and my cheek more times that I could possibly count, but when they met mine, it was something else entirely. They were so soft as they took my top one between them, suckling lightly before making a slow gliding over mine, and I still felt a shiver run through my body just from the memory of that sensation.

I jumped as my fingertips touched my lips, still sensitive from his kiss. Even though it had admittedly been a long time for me, nothing with Jasper had ever felt like that, and that thought caused tears to begin welling in my eyes. The most amazing kiss I'd ever experienced and I knew it was something I would never feel again. Edward was my best friend; he was doing something absolutely amazing for me at a high cost to himself in so many ways, and my baby was going to have an exceptional father because of it. But he was also a man, who would someday have his own life to lead outside of us. I'd never thought that far into the future before then, and I was furious with myself at the selfish panic rushing through me.

Someday, he would want to have a girlfriend, maybe even a marriage and children of his own. I couldn't keep him all to myself forever, but damn, how I wanted to.

I had to stop thinking that way, I told myself as I wiped the tears from my eyes and laid down on my side, gazing out the window. Nothing like that could ever happen again. Making things awkward between us just as my due date was approaching would only cause strain and tension that neither of us could afford. And no matter what, I never wanted to lose Edward's friendship.

It was just hormones and loneliness, and fear of everything that was right around the corner for us. Nothing more.

**x-x-x**

"And deep breath in, and one, two, three…"

Short puffs of breath left me with each count from the Lamaze instructor thankful for the distraction from the reality that it was my last class, with my due date a week away. As well as the fact that I was the only mother there that night _alone_.

Edward had not missed a single class or doctor's appointment throughout my entire pregnancy before, and I'd never received quite as many stares from newcomers as I had during that particular class. And through I knew it was—once again—really selfish of me, I'd sobbed uncontrollably when I'd received his text around five o' clock.

_Running late. Highway is a parking lot. Be there as soon as I can. If not before class is over, I'll see you at home. I'm so sorry._

I'd had to ask my dad for a ride to class on his way to work, with my stomach now making it difficult to both steer and reach the pedals of my truck at the same time. Then I tearfully called Carlisle to make sure he'd be able to pick me up afterward if Edward didn't make it.

And as I tried to refocus on my breathing again to keep from bursting into tears, a new rush of panic flooded through me.

What would happen if Edward got stuck in Seattle when I went into labor? Giving birth in itself scared the crap out of me, but going through it _alone_? The thought was crippling. I couldn't do it without Edward there. I needed him.

"Bella? What's wrong, sweetheart?" the Lamaze instructor's voice broke me out of my thoughts, and my head snapped up to find that while she spoke calmly, her eyes were worried as they flickered over me.

It was then that I noticed the dampness of my cheeks, the raggedness of my breaths, and my uncontrollably shaking hands. I swallowed hard and shook my head, trying to compose myself before attempting to reply. "N-nothing. I'm f-fine. Just a little nervous, I guess."

My sobs, however, would not cease, and with the assistance of one of the other fathers, the instructor helped me off the floor and into a small side office, where I continued to cry. The fact that I had just humiliated myself out there didn't matter. I needed Edward so much at that moment, and he wasn't there. I wanted him to hold me and tell me that everything was going to be okay, that he would always be there for me and calm me, in the way that only he was capable. To ease my fears if only for a moment.

"Bella." A rushed urgent voice sounded in the doorway and I looked up to find Edward slightly out of breath and with flushed cheeks, before he quickly came to my side. "What happened? They called me and said you were having a panic attack or something. I'm so sorry I couldn't get here faster. Are you okay?"

I gazed down at him, where he was crouched at my side and his hands holding mine between them, his eyes wandering over my face in worry. I wanted to tell him that I was fine, that it was just my stupid hormones and erase the line of concern creasing his forehead. But one look into those green eyes and I crumbled, unable to hide from him and shook my head. "What if I have to do this alone? What if you're all the way up in Seattle and I have this baby before you even get out of class? I'm so scared that you won't be there, Edward. I don't know what I would have done all this time without you, and just the thought of having this baby…"

"Bella, slow down and breathe," Edward replied calmly, stroking the back of my hand with his fingertips and inhaling through his nose as if instructing me to do so myself. "All of my professors already know that one phone call is all it takes, and I'm gone. I _will_ be here, Bella. You won't be alone, no matter how many traffic laws I have to break."

I met his eyes again as he traced the backs of his fingers along my cheek and even allowed myself to chuckle at the lightness in his voice and gaze, and suddenly felt ridiculous. "I'm being crazy again, aren't I?"

"A little crazy, yeah. But I'm pretty sure you're allowed," Edward replied, raising his lips to my brow and pressing his lips to my skin, before resting his own forehead against it. "I promised you I'd be here for you, and I meant it. Okay?"

"Okay," I replied in a whisper, nodded when he asked me if I was ready to go home. I took his hands for him to help me out of the chair and slowly stood, but froze when I felt a warm gush spread down my legs and my grip on him tightened.

"Oh my God," we both said simultaneously, gazing at each other in both nervousness and sheer excitement.

We were about to become parents.

**x-x-x**

After driving like a maniac unnecessarily and calling his father at work to ask him to just stay there, we thankfully made it to the hospital in one piece, where my parents stood waiting. I wasn't overly scared yet, and assured my mother that I was fine and not in too much pain.

And boy, did I speak way too soon.

Within twenty minutes of being settled into my room and told that I was at four centimeters, I felt as if I was being split it two. I was certain that, by the end of it all, Edward's hand would never recover its original shape and color after the death grip I had on it. Yet he never flinched or pulled away, or even left my side for a moment. He fed me ice chips, wiped down my sweaty face, and whispered words of encouragement as he would kiss my forehead or the back of my hand.

What I had done to deserve a friend like Edward, I was sure I'd never know.

When the time came for me to push, I was so thoroughly exhausted—wishing I hadn't listened to all the natural birth talk and gone for the epidural—Edward was asked to sit behind me on the bed to support me. His fingers interweaved with mine on either side of me, still speaking softly into my ear as tears flowed freely down my cheeks, using every ounce of my remaining strength to push.

After all the horror stories I'd heard about hours' worth of pushing, I was stunned when, less than ten minutes later, the pressure disappeared—leaving behind only a dull ache—and the most amazing sound I'd heard since the beating of my baby's heart echoed through the room.

_Our_ daughter's first gasp of breath followed by her trembling cry.

The doctor held her up for us to get our first good view of her, and I shakily released Edward's hand to reach out and touch the tiny fist of our little girl with my fingertips. When I leaned into Edward again once they took her away, a tired and tearful laugh left me as I nuzzled the back of my head into his chest.

"She's perfect," I said with a soft sob, feeling every fear I'd had over my entire pregnancy leave me in a rush as he hummed in agreement.

Carlie Renee had arrived, healthy and strong. Edward was there beside me through the entire thing. And as he pointed out when she was finally brought back to us and set into my arms, she looked just like a Swan through and through, without a single trace of Jasper in her beautiful features.

I felt Edward's lips pressed against my damp hair and turned my head to brush them gently with mine. His eyes gazed at me questioningly, but I could only smile back at him and whisper, "Thank you. For _everything_."


	6. Chapter 5 Behind Closed Doors

**Sorry for the delay in posting this. It is nearly complete, as far as writing it is concerned, so the remainder of them won't take nearly as long. We've finally come around full circle to the beginning of the first chapter, so now we get to see Edward as a daddy. Hope you all enjoy!  
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**Chapter Five—Behind Closed Doors**

All the memories of the previous year floated through my mind as I sat there, gazing at two of the most important people in my life—my daughter and her father.

The moment she opened her eyes for the first time and looked up at us with those hazel green orbs of hers, further erasing any possible lingering doubt in anyone's mind as to her paternity—regardless of the reality. We'd even had to bite our tongues when others had commented about seeing traces of Edward in her, including her daddy's long, slender fingers.

The morning we brought her home from the hospital and set her in the crib that Edward had placed in my bedroom, when it became clear that the nursery he and his father were preparing upstairs next to Edward's room, wouldn't be ready in time. We stared down at the tiny baby girl below us that day for what felt like only minutes, but turned out to be over an hour, enthralled as we were with her.

Waking up several nights to find Edward tiptoeing into my bedroom to check on Carlie at the softest noise from her, and quietly leaving the room with her, whispering for me to go back to sleep. Until, of course, we began taking turns every other night between her staying in my room and the newly finished nursery. I found myself missing the sight of him with her, both carrying her out and returning an hour later with her freshly fed, changed, and back to sleep.

Watching the way Edward held her all of Christmas day, while our families celebrated our first holiday together with our newest addition, including his mother. Esme had returned to Washington the week before, despite the divorce between her and Carlisle being finalized months earlier, to see her granddaughter, and to our surprise, her ex-husband, as well. Edward barely spoke to her about anything other than Carlie, not as willing to forgive her as it seemed Carlisle was, telling us the night before that he and Esme were going to seek counseling together. After several, hours' long talks with his former spouse, he'd realized how much he really did still love her, and twenty years of marriage was not an easy thing to just walk away from.

The awkward moment two weeks before when I'd come home from the doctor's office following my six week checkup, trying not to blush and stumble over my words when he'd asked me how it went. I quickly told him that everything was fine, and then hurried into my room. Nothing had changed between us since Carlie's birth, including the lustful thoughts and urges I'd begun feeling for him that I'd convinced myself would disappear along with the pregnancy. And now with the green light for resuming sexual activities and being put on the shot, it didn't exactly help matters.

And then, of course, there were nights such as this—climbing the stairs before going to bed myself, finding Edward with our daughter on his chest and his textbook on his lap, fast asleep. Carlie was his entire world, and there is nothing quite like a man completely and utterly devoted to his little girl to make a woman's heart melt, or said man more desirable to her.

Yet, there was also the woman in me that, with everything we'd been through together, had also had the proverbial wool lifted from my eyes. I'd been granted an insight into Edward that I might not have gotten any other way, and saw the incredible guy that had literally been right under my nose for years. We had bonded together in a way that was irreversible, both through our daughter and with each other. I'd never truly believed in falling in love with your best friend in the past, but the evidence of it was right in front of me.

I loved Edward more than I ever thought possible, and I wanted him in every way—my friend, my daughter's father, my partner and lover.

I rose slowly from my seat and walked over to the rocker, attempting to lift Carlie in a way that Edward had mastered, without waking either of them—which I failed miserably. The instant her cheek lost contact with her father's chest, her eyes began to flutter open and her lower lip started trembling, which naturally, woke Edward with the resulting cry that left her.

"Hey. Sorry, I must have dozed off. You didn't have to come up, though. I would have put her to bed," Edward said drowsily, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms as he sat up more fully.

"I know. But it's not like you've never helped _me_ out on _my_ nights. It's fine," I answered softly, rocking Carlie in an attempt to soothe her.

Yet, just as when she was still inside me, it was Edward's voice speaking to her again once he'd woken up a little more, that did the trick. "Time for bed, angel. I love you."

I watched his fingers run lightly over her dark hair and his lips press a gentle kiss to her forehead, and her entire body began to relax in my arms. Some mothers would probably feel jealous or even resentful toward their child's father when it seemed that she preferred her dad most of the time—and I'd admit, it stung a little at times—but mostly, I could only feel relief that they shared that bond. Stronger than blood and genetics, Edward was her _daddy_, and she had him completely wrapped around her little finger as much as if he'd created her himself.

As he grabbed his glasses and textbook, telling me that he was going to get back to studying, I smiled with a nod. I was extremely lucky and blessed.

With a gentle kiss of my own to Carlie's forehead and a soft goodnight, I lowered her into her crib and watched as she wiggled and stretched before finally settling in to fall back asleep. I could have stayed in there all night just staring at her, but I wanted to talk to Edward.

Grabbing the other receiver to the baby monitor, I quietly crept out of the nursery and down the short distance of the hall to Edward's door, my eyes taking him in before making a sound. The new semester had only just begun, and even though he'd arranged to take as many classes as he could online to be more available to us, he was already so immersed in his course work, I couldn't help but feel just a little bit proud of him. He was determined to get his degree with nothing less than honors, while still being a full-time dad as well, and so far, he was doing amazing at both.

"Hey, Edward?" I said softly, not wanting to startle him as he wrote, but I watched as a smirk appeared on his face.

"Yes, Bella?" he replied teasingly, the corners of his mouth twitching with amusement before turning his gaze to me and looking over the top rims of his glasses. "You think I don't notice someone standing in my doorway for that long, saying nothing?"

"I'm so glad I can amuse you," I retorted, rolling my eyes at his chuckle. "I was just wondering if you were extremely busy or going to bed soon, or could we talk for a bit?"

As Edward opened his mouth to reply, the sound of his mother's laugh from his father's room across the hall made his jaw clench and all lightness in his demeanor to disappear as he threw his pen to the desk. "Not anymore. Why, what's up?"

I lowered my eyes and shook my head, his tense features making me nervous. "Nothing. It's not important, it can wait. Good night, Edward."

"Hey, stop," he called after me as I turned to leave the room, his chair making a soft thump on the rug when he knocked over with his brisk rising. He hurried after me and took my elbow once he caught up, turning me to face him and gazing at me with a furrowed brow. "What did you want to talk about? Is it Carlie? Are _you_ okay?"

"No, it's nothing like that. We're fine. It really _can_ wait," I replied, finding it difficult to keep my eyes on his.

Edward stepped closer, running his hands down my arms and shaking his head. "Bella, nothing is more important to me than you and Carlie. So whatever you need to talk to me about, we can."

I nodded, feeling his fingers slid around mine and his eyes close as his father's voice echoed through the door as well. "Maybe downstairs?"

Edward glanced at me and I lifted the monitor receiver in my other hand, to which he inhaled deeply and silently agreed by leading me down the hall and stairs. He made to stop in the living room, but I tugged gently on his arm, leading him instead to my bedroom and closed the door.

"More private," I said, answering his unspoken inquiry. Setting the monitor on my bedside table, I lowered to sit on the edge of my mattress, patting the space beside me to invite him to join me.

"All right, Bella, you're worrying me a little," Edward said as he sat next to me and I had remained silent.

Where was I supposed to begin? I had no clear plan, only impulses that had been growing stronger for months. I wanted him, but how could I tell him? If he didn't want me back, what would that do to our friendship and our handling of Carlie? I was terrified, but there was no way around it. I needed to know.

"Edward, where do you see us a year from now? Five years from now?" I asked nervously, my voice soft but I somehow managed to summon the strength to look at him as I spoke. "I mean, obviously Carlie is going to be a continuous factor in both of our lives, that will never change."

Edward released the breath he'd been holding since I began speaking, nodding and running his hands along his thighs. "I don't know. Why do you ask?"

"Well," I began, swallowing hard and returning my eyes to him with his sharp intake of breath. "What?"

"You want to leave, don't you?" he replied as more of a statement than a question, as if he believed he knew the answer already.

"Oh God, no," I breathed out heavily, clasping his hand in mine with the panic I saw in his eyes. "You and your father have done more for us than I can possibly ever hope to repay. I'm not leaving, and I promise, neither is she."

Edward leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, releasing my hand to drive his into his hair. "Okay, so why?"

"Someday, way in the future, we _are_ eventually going to have to get out on our own," I started, watching his fingers tighten on either side of his head. "And then, of course, one or both of us will want to start dating, right?"

Edward turned his head toward me with an eyebrow raised in sarcasm. "Bella, I had trouble getting a date at all _before_ I became a father. Hell, Heidi only dated me because she wanted to get into _Jasper's_ pants. Do you really think I'm overly eager to try jumping back into _that_ game with my daughter at stake? Why? Are _you_ wanting to?"

I pressed my lips together and shrugged slightly. "Well, yeah. At some point. But that's actually what I wanted to talk to you about."

Edward's forehead creased as he leaned onto his arm on the mattress, as if taking me in more fully. "Why would you need to talk to me about _that_?"

I sighted; apparently, subtlety wasn't going to work. "Edward, as far as the rest of the world knows, _you_ are the acting _and_ biological father of my daughter. How either of us goes about dating is going to be the business of the other."

"Bella, if you want to date, as long as it doesn't negatively affect Carlie, that's your business, not mine," Edward answered somewhat stiffly, his jaw tensing again.

I fought back tears at the tone of his voice, lowering my eyes to my lap. "You don't care at all?"

Edward didn't speak at all for a moment and then suddenly, he shifted on the bed to face me directly. "What is going on, Bella? Is this some kind of post-partum… something that men just don't have the wherewithal to understand?"

I brought my gaze back to him, and along with the discomfort of the topic he'd just mentioned, concern etched his features as his eyes ran over me. "No, it's nothing like that, either." I paused, taking a deep breath of preparation and let it out as slow and evenly as I could manage before I bite the figurative bullet. "Edward, you told your father way back in the beginning of all this that you loved me. Was that just because of the circumstances, or part of the story, or how you feel about me as a friend? What?"

Edward sat up straighter, running his hand over his lips and down his chin, shaking his head as he stood. "Bella, I'm not doing this."

"Doing what?" I asked, unable to keep my lips from trembling as I felt my heart begin to shatter until the weight of rejection. "You don't think of me that way, right?"

"I'm not going to be in a relationship of convenience with you any more than we already have been," he replied tensely, attempting to keep the volume of his voice as low as possible. "I love Carlie. I couldn't love her more if she _was_ biologically mine. I put my name on her birth certificate, she's _my_ daughter. I'm not going anywhere or leaving her behind no matter what you decide to do with your love life. Nothing else ties you to me but our little girl."

"That doesn't answer my question, Edward," I said, feeling the first hot tear stream down my cheek. "I _know_ you love our daughter. I would never question that. What I'm asking is how you feel about _me_? Do you love me?"

"Of course, I love you. Why in the world would you ever think that I didn't?" Edward asked, lifting his hand to my face to brush the wet trail away with the pad of his thumb.

"Enough that you'd ever want to be with me?"

There it was, I was laying myself out on the line for him, vulnerable and exposed. But his expression was blank and unreadable, until he began backing away from me, shaking his head.

"Don't sell yourself short like that. Having a baby is not the end of the world for you romantically. Any guy worth having is going to want you with or without Carlie," Edward answered me, only stopping when his back hit the door.

"So, that's a no," I replied, folding my arms around myself.

"No, that's not a no."

"Then it's a yes?"

"No. Yes. Bella," Edward paused, visibly flustered and pressing his palm to his forehead. "Don't settle for me because you think you can't do any better. You can. You'll only regret it in the end, and I don't want that. That wouldn't do any of us any good. You, me or Carlie."

I gazed at him for a long moment and then pushed myself up off the bed, walking toward him and stopping a foot away. "You really think I would risk our entire friendship and everything you mean to me, to settle? Do you think I would risk that for our daughter? You're not just someone convenient to scratch an itch because I'm lonely or don't think anyone else would want me. I'm asking because I genuinely want to know if you would ever want something more with me. Even if Carlie had never come along."

Edward's eyes widened and he visibly swallowed hard, and for the first time since the conversation began, I felt a small ray of hope. He licked his lips almost unnoticeably and tightened them, turning his gaze away from me. "You really don't want to know that."

I drew in a deep breath, reaching my hand up to his face to remove his glasses, wanting to see his eyes as I spoke to him without obstruction. He closed them when my fingers brushed along his jaw and turned his face back to me, waiting until he was looking at me again before continuing. "Yes, I do. No matter what the answer is, I want to know. Could you ever see me as anything more than your best friend or your daughter's mother?"

"Bella, I've been seeing you as more than that since I was fourteen years old," Edward replied suddenly and I sucked in a sharp breath. "You have no idea how much I wish that Carlie _was_ actually mine. Or how much I envied one of my best friends in the world because he was the one you chose to be with. _He_ got to see a side of you that I never would. And you would never see _me_ the way you saw him, because I was just that nerdy guy next door. The friend, the buddy. Nothing else."

My thumb ran distractedly back and forth along his cheek while he spoke, mesmerized by both the movement of his lips and the words leaving them. My eyes met his and there was such an earnest and heart-wrenching glint to them, I didn't know what to say. I stepped closer to him and watch him stiffen, pressing back into the door. "What is it?"

"I really think I should go back upstairs," Edward said after a deep breath, reaching for the doorknob but I quickly covered his hand with mine to stop him. "We can never take this back, Bella."

"I know," I whispered, rising onto my toes to gently brush my lips over his, and the same sensation I felt the other two instances we'd kissed rushed through me. The warmth spreading from where his mouth met mine, down my neck and settling into my chest. My heart was beating fast, and it was exhilarating. It wasn't just the excitement of the baby moving beneath his palm or the joy of our daughter coming into the world that made kissing Edward feel that way—it really was _him_. I tilted my head the other way and testingly pressed my lips to his again, humming softly when he responded to me and running my hand up his arm to his shoulder. "I don't want to take it back, Edward."

His forehead creased against mine as I pulled him closer to me, his eyes pinching closed tighter and his breathing became heavier. "Why now? After all this time. Is it because of Carlie?"

I gazed at him questioningly, but he still wouldn't look back, even when I felt his fingers come to rest on either side of my waist. My fingers traced down his chest, running slowly over the ribbed fabric of his wifebeater. "I'm not going to lie and say she has _nothing_ to do with it. But its also not because I think we should be in a relationship for that reason alone. I would never ask _you_ to settle that way."

Edward's fingers tightened on my sides slightly, leaning his head back again and looking up to the ceiling. "Then what?"

I sighed; he was pulling back from me again. My thoughts were turbulent, quickly attempting to find the words to convey exactly what I was feeling. "You know how you said that Jasper got to see a side of me that you didn't?"

Edward drew in a deep breath and tensed, swallowing hard as he nodded with a tight jaw. "Yes."

"Edward, please look at me," I said and he slowly brought his eyes to meet mine. "When you first suggested claiming her as yours, I admit, I thought you'd lost your mind. I mean, what eighteen year old guy would willingly choose to become a father to a baby that wasn't his, regardless of whether he benefitted from it all as well. And I guess there was a part of me that was waiting for you to realize that you'd made a very impulsive, bad decision. I knew you'd never turn your back on me, but I never expected you to take on _everything_ that came along with it. And I never thought for a moment that there was any time that you didn't absolutely _want_ to be there. After ten years and everything we've been through together, you managed to surprise me. _I _got to see a side of _you_ I never had before. How much you loved her before you could see or touch her, or even feel her inside me. And all the time we spent together never felt like just a show for the rest of the world. And when you kissed me in here that night…"

I trailed off as he closed his eyes again and I could feel the infinitesimal heating of his skin when I touched his face. "I'm sorry, Bella."

"I'm _not_," I replied emphatically, shaking my head back and forth slowly even though he couldn't see me. "I wasn't _then_, either. Except for the fact that you had to leave, and you didn't want me the way I wanted you, so badly. But I was terrified of losing you and what it would do to our friendship and our baby, if it turned out to just be pregnancy related fear and loneliness, or you know, the _hormones_."

Edward laughed uncomfortably as I lowered my head with my final words, but there was still a tenseness to his body that wouldn't ebb. So I brought my gaze back up to meet his. "It could have been."

I looked up at him again and shook my head slowly, never breaking my eyes from his. "I _still_ want you, Edward. _More_, even. And I'm still terrified of what the consequences might be if you don't want me that way now, I don't want to lose you and I don't want Carlie to lose her dad. She needs you, and so do I. So much, it hurts. However, it also hurts having you so close and wanting you this much, but I can't touch you or kiss you, or even really know if you want me."

Edward finally silenced me by sealing his lips over mine, sliding his arms securely around my waist, and holding me against him. His kiss was firm but gentle, and filled with so much desire and passion, I couldn't move, breath, or even bring myself to close my eyes. My arms encircled his neck as I returned it with fervor, moaning softly into his mouth as our lips parted and I felt the first touch of his tongue against mine.

I pressed my body into him more, and I could feel the pounding of his heart against my own chest, as well as the first hint of his body's response beneath his sleep pants. My eyes finally closed and my fingers slid into his hair, holding onto him tightly when our lips finally pulled apart and our panting breaths filled the room. I never wanted to let him go as I whispered the words that would irrevocably change _everything_ between us—for the better, or the absolute worst. "I'm _so_ in love with you, Edward."

He inhaled a shaky breath through his nose and I could feel his fingertips pressing further into my skin before he buried his face into the crook of my neck and nearly whimpered his word as he spoke. "I love you, Bella. God, I love you so much."

The creak of a door opening upstairs came through the baby monitor, followed by what we knew was Carlisle's footsteps coming down the stairs. I turned my head to feel Edward's lips against mine one more time but he took hold of my shoulders and shook his head. "Not right now."

I took a few steps back from him and felt tears burning in my eyes as a knock and "you know the rules, you two" sounded through the door. I couldn't look at either of them as Edward quickly opened it, showing his father that we were both decent and explaining that we just needed to talk in private.

Leaving it open at his father's request, Edward returned to me and rested his hands on my waist again, pressing his lips to my forehead. My arms moved around his shoulders and I hugged myself against him, and I felt him cradling me in his embrace.

"I'm sorry. It's not that I don't want this or you. I just can't do _that_ with either of my parents right upstairs, let alone both," Edward whispered against the top of my head and I nodded in understanding—that _would_ be awkward. Then his hands began running slowly up and down my back and his breathing changed, just as he began speaking again softly. "I don't think I can keep lying to him anymore, either, Bella."

My head rose slowly from his chest and my eyes found his gazing back at me seriously. "You want to tell them about Carlie?"

"Yes. It's the right thing to do," Edward replied, nodding resolutely and then his expression shifted again, and his hold on me tightened. "I also think we should tell Jasper."


	7. Chapter 6 In Our Hearts

**A/N: So there were quite a few mixed reactions to the last chapter. Some of you didn't think they should tell **_**anyone**_**, others that they should just tell the parents but not Jasper, and then still others that thought Jasper should know. Thank you so much, each and every one of you, for your responses and reactions. I appreciate them more than you could ever know.**

**I just wrote the last lines of this story today, so there shouldn't be any more delays in updates, following read-throughs and such that need to be done. And ericastwilight is superawesome about that. :) So hope you enjoy and hope to catch you all soon. **

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**Chapter Six—In Our Hearts**

Sleep was absolutely impossible after _that_. I wanted to talk to Edward right then and there, but the clearing of Carlisle's throat as he passed my door again on his way back from the kitchen reminded me that it wasn't the time.

However, I didn't feel the least bit tired when I attempted to lie down after Edward kissed me goodnight and left the room, hearing his words swirl around in my brain. Tell Jasper? Why? What good could come of that? I'd admit that occasionally, the logical side of myself had considered it. Mainly because, God forbid, Carlie were to develop some kind of health condition that ran in Jasper's family that I didn't know about, but the doctors were looking into Edward's family history instead. I didn't even want to _think_ of the consequences that could render.

Then there was the emotional side of me, amplified when I heard Edward's voice through the baby monitor, talking to Carlie and soothing her back to sleep at three a.m.

Our daughter already _had_ a father, and one who loved her more than I'd ever seen any man love their child. I could not have wished for anyone better for her—why upset the apple cart? I could understand him wanting to tell his father, and even my parents and his mother, as he didn't feel comfortable in continuing to lie to his family and Carlie's grandparents. But _Jasper_? I couldn't understand.

I must have finally dozed off just before dawn, as when I woke, my room was fully lit and I heard Edward in the kitchen with the baby. I swung my legs out of bed and rose, making my way down the hall pausing in the doorway. Edward was taking a sip of coffee with one hand and holding Carlie with the other, both of them fully dressed, which surprised me until I looked at the clock on the stove.

"It's already ten? Why'd you let me sleep so late?" I asked, crossing the room toward them.

"You were tired," Edward replied with a raised eyebrow but then shifted Carlie in his arms to hand her to me. "But I'm actually glad you're up. She ran out of diapers this morning, and I also have to grab some ink for my printer, so I'll be back."

"Edward, we need to talk," I said as I took her into my arms, keeping my eyes on him.

"I know. We will. I'll be back in an hour, tops. Love you," he said quickly, pecking my lips and pulling away before I could even revel in it, and then pressed his to the top of Carlie's head. He lingered there for a moment, closing his eyes and running his hand gently over her silky hair. "I love you. Daddy will be right back."

Before I could say another word, he was hurrying down the hall and grabbing his car keys, waving back at me briefly and stepping outside. I sighed heavily, kissing my daughter's forehead in a morning greeting. "Your daddy is _really_ weird, you know that?"

An hour passed and still, Edward had not returned. I laid back on the couch with Carlie leaning back on my bent legs, singing softly to her and running my index finger along the glittery "Daddy's Little Princess" lettering on her dress and the gold crown beside it.

There was no way he could have been serious the night before. Carlie was his entire world; why would he risk that at all? He hadn't shown any signs of growing tired of being a dad, quite the contrary, actually. And our daughter's attachment to him had only increased exponentially since the moment she was born and then nestled in his arms for the first time.

"What is Daddy thinking, huh?" I said in a soft voice, knowing she couldn't understand me and only cared that I was talking to her, which was all that mattered. I traced my finger along her cheek and her head began turning her head toward my hand, so I sat up to grab the blanket from the back of the couch, covering her as I proceeded to feed her. No sooner did I get her settled at my breast and I heard Edward's car pilling into the driveway. "He has impeccable timing, doesn't he?"

Edward came through the door, carrying several bags, his keys between his teeth, and kicked the door closed behind him. "Hey, I'm back!"

"Hey, I _see_," I replied in a much softer voice and chuckled, and he looked over as if he wasn't expecting to find me there. His eyes widened, most likely since I tended to feed Carlie in my room, living with two men. "Thought you were only picking up diapers and ink."

My voice seemed to snap him out of his daze and he sighed, rolling his eyes sarcastically. "Mother called. Needed me to pick some things up for her."

"Edward," I began and he nodded, continuing down the hall.

"I know. Just give me a couple of minutes and I'll be right there," he called back to me from the kitchen.

I blew out a breath slowly and lowered my gaze back down to Carlie, running my finger along the tiny arm she had curled to her chest. Maybe Edward had thought things over and changed his mind since the night before. It would have explained his odd behavior before he'd left earlier. Or was he possibly nervous about discussing with me that he _hadn't _changed his mind.

I hadn't noticed that I was crying until I felt Edward come to sit beside me with his arm wrapped around my shoulders, and his knuckle brushed lightly over my cheek. "You really do regret it, don't you? Suggesting this and getting so attached to someone else's baby. Lying and pretending, uprooting your whole life for us. And now, I'm asking more of you, and it's just too much, isn't it?"

Edward's arm tightened around me gently and he pressed his lips to my temple before resting his forehead against my hair, his words whispering in my ear. "I don't regret a thing. You know that I don't think of Carlie as anyone's daughter but mine and yours. And what you've asked of me is something I've wanted for so long, it's like you've reached into my heart and granted one of its deepest desires."

I turned my gaze to him and found his eyes on our daughter at my breast, but I didn't get that strange feeling I thought I would with Edward watching me feed our daughter. Even with our changing relationship, it was as if he was observing something as ordinary as me reading a book, but his focus was on _her_ and he didn't seem uncomfortable at all, either. "Then, what is it?"

"I'm a very selfish man," Edward replied, his head tilting slightly but his eyes never wavered.

My eyes widened and I chuckled in disbelief, causing Carlie to break away from me and wrinkle her nose; her signal that she was done. Edward took her from my arms and her head rested on his shoulder as he began gently patting her back while I adjusted my clothing. I turned on the cushion more to face them and found his eyes closed and lips pressed to her soft, dark hair, and that crease had returned to his forehead. Once again, it worried me.

"Edward, I can't imagine any man who's been _less_ selfish than you have through all this. You've sacrificed so much for us, with our families, our friends—hell, the whole town. You took responsibility for something you had absolutely no obligation to, because you cared about me. Where is the selfishness in that?"

"Because I want everything. You, her… to be a real family. By wanting to come clean to my family, I'm forcing you to do the same with yours. And Jasper," Edward replied in a tight voice, his hold securing around Carlie protectively. "It may be unlikely, but all it would take is for him to get one small hair up his… you know what… to figure out that I'd never touched you, and the timeline was all wrong, and he could ask for a paternity test. And he'd have all the rights in the world strip her away from me. Demand visitation. Whatever strikes his fancy. I don't want to lose my daughter. I _can't_ lose her. Or you."

I could almost literally feel my heart breaking as he spoke, anguish heavy in his tone that became more strained with each word. I'd never had any doubt that Edward loved Carlie, but watching him cocoon her in his arms and brush soft kisses on her head with his eyes pinched closed, gave me a whole new understanding of just _how_ much. The thought of losing her was agony for him; the reality would kill a part of him. I lifted my fingers to trace along the hair around his ear before leaning over to press my lips there. "No one is taking us away. Ever. I love you. And _you_ are Carlie's father."

"On her birth certificate. One little test is all it would take to disprove that," Edward said, finally turning his head to meet my eyes.

"We can't change her genetics, Edward. So what good will telling Jasper do?" I asked, running my fingertips through the hair at his neck.

"Because then _we'd_ be making that first step to tell _him_, and not hiding it anymore. I knew that with all the years I'd been friends with Jasper, he didn't want kids. And definitely not before he got to live out whatever life he'd wanted to first. But who's to say that won't change in a year, or maybe five years down the line. He could never come back and say that I purposely kept his daughter away from him. And then—and this is where the _really_ selfish part comes in," Edward began and I furrowed my brow expectantly. "I want to ask him to sign over all paternal rights to her. I'm not asking to do this for child support or an occasional babysitter on the weekends. That's _my_ time, anyway. I want to be as close to one hundred percent Carlie's father as possible. Even though my name is on her birth certificate, I want her to be as legally mine as she can be. I don't want to live with this fear for the rest of her childhood. This was the one thing I hadn't take into account in this whole matter. Just that slight possibility scares the crap out of me, Bella."

I wrapped my arms around them both and Edward's head came to rest on my shoulder, fighting back tears at his impassioned statement. "Okay. I'll figure out a way. Is that why you want to tell your dad, too?"

Edward nodded slowly, his hand beginning its movement along Carlie's back again. "Partially. I mean, once we start a ball like that rolling, it's not as if we can keep that a secret for long. But I've also never lied to my dad, and something of this magnitude … I thought I could do it, but I can't. He deserves to know. They all do."

I took a deep breath, my lips quivering with emotion before I could reply. "I know. They're going to hate me, aren't they?"

"No, it was my idea, remember?" he pointed out, but I could only shake my head.

"But _I_ agreed to it. All because I didn't want to lose you," I replied with a raised eyebrow.

"I still can't ever see that happening," Edward said, holding the baby with one arm and wrapping the other around me. His lips touched mine, and as with the night before, every other worry disappeared for those few seconds. I honestly believed his words when he held and kissed me that way. "They love you, Bella. And they love Carlie. Almost as much as I do."

**x-x-x**

At first, I couldn't quite tell what Carlisle's reaction was when we sat down with him and Esme in the living room the following evening. His mother began crying softly, but his father sat stoically across from us, much as he had when we'd first told him that I was pregnant all those months before. Finally, he stood and moved to sit on the other side of Edward, looking down at Carlie sleeping in her daddy's arms, having refused to leave them for long all night without fussing.

Then he said the three most beautiful words I'd ever heard since Edward said "I love you."

"Love isn't biological," Carlisle said, gently touching Carlie's head with his fingertips. "And this angel is still, and always will be, my granddaughter in my heart."

_My_ parents, on the other hand, were an entirely different story. No matter what, Carlie was still their granddaughter, but the fact that I had lied to them so thoroughly didn't go over well. My mother also cried, asking me how I could do that to Edward and told me how disappointed she was. My dad was just plain pissed and refused to speak to me, leaving the room when we told him.

I spent that night in my bed with Edward's arms around me as I sobbed into his chest, while his parents watched over the baby. "My father hates me. I don't think he'll forgive me for this."

"You know that's not true, Bella," Edward whispered softly into my hair, his embrace tightening around me gently. "You know your dad. He gets angry, blows off steam, and cools down. And then it's back to same ol' Charlie. He loves you so much. You're his little girl, he could never hate you. And Carlie's got him just as wrapped as you do. That's a force he won't be able to fight for long."

"He wasn't even this mad when I told him that I was pregnant," I cried, curling into Edward's body more. I needed his warmth, strength and support more than ever, and in his own special way, he didn't fail to deliver.

"He'll forgive you. And I'm sure, in time, he'll even forgive me," Edward said, his voice altering slightly and I tilted my head to look up at him. I knew going to my parents that evening was no easier on him than it had been on me. My father was right below his own on the list of men Edward respected the most. Telling him that he'd been the one who'd gotten me pregnant had been very difficult for him, but telling him that it was a lie was worse, despite the explanation and reasons behind it. Although, Edward had taken the cold, hard stare from my father far better than I did, to his credit. "I'm sorry I made you do it. He probably just needs some time to decompress before he's back to doting on his girls."

I closed my eyes as his lips pressed to my forehead and I hugged my arm tighter around his waist. "I'm not. You were right, it needed to be done, and I'm grateful that you were there with me. I don't think I'm ever going to run out of reasons to thank you. But really, I don't know how I would have gotten through tonight without you. I love you."

"And I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing you say 'I love you' that way," he whispered, lowering his lips to mine again and kissing me gently. "I love you, too, Bella."

* * *

**Now _that's_ done... only one thing left. Jasper...**


	8. Chapter 7 Defending Yours

**Chapter Seven—Defending Yours**

When I originally sent out the friend request on Facebook after finding Jasper on there, I half expected him to ignore it with the way things had been left off between us. It was the first step in what I was sure was a long road to actually coming in contact with him again.

Imagine my surprise when I actually got added with a response from him two days later.

_**Jasper Whitlock**_

_Hey. Never expected to hear from you again. What's up? I heard you had your kid. Congrats._

_Jas_

I glanced over to Edward, who was sitting beside me on the couch. Jasper was actually being somewhat congenial, and it unnerved me. If he had changed at all in the time he was away, to the point that he would even be _this_ pleasant to me in a message, the rest of the conversation we needed to have made me very nervous. Would he actually _want_ Carlie now once he was told he had a daughter? I took a deep breath and Edward gave me a nod of encouragement, leaning over to gently kiss my cheek before I turned my eyes back to the laptop screen.

_**Isabella Swan**_

_Hi, Jasper. Yes, I had the baby and that's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. If you still have my cell, can you give me a call? _

_Bella_

There, it had started. My stomach was tied up in knots as I awaited his response. Even Edward's hand massaging the back of my neck wasn't helping—I was a complete wreck. How would Edward and I get through this if Jasper refused to sign over his rights? If he decided to be involved in Carlie's life? Knowing it was the right thing to do, since Jasper had the right to know that he had a daughter, did not help in settling my nerves at all.

I was just about to set my computer on the coffee table when I received notification of a new message. Was it okay to throw up yet?

_**Jasper Whitlock**_

_I don't. I got a new phone and didn't save your number. And rehashing the past with you is not something I am all too eager to do. Sorry._

My hands went to my hair and I clenched it in my fists, releasing a groan of frustration. So much for him having changed, but I needed to go through with it. For Carlie, for Edward, and even for myself.

_**Isabella Swan**_

_Please, it's very important that I talk to you. Here's my number, please call me as soon as you can._

I typed in my cell number and sent the message off, sliding the laptop onto the table before I threw it in a fit of agitation and leaning back into Edward. His arms encircled me and my hand rose to hold them to my chest, closing my eyes in an attempt to lose myself for a moment in the peace I found in his embrace. "I can't do this, Edward."

Edward's fingers lifted to trace along my jaw, turning my face toward him to brush a soft kiss on my lips. "You're not in this alone, baby. I'm right here."

I sank back more into his chest and even managed a small smile. He didn't call me that often, and in fact, had only said it for the first time only two days before, but it made the instances he did just that much more sacred and special. "I know. I'm just scared, that's all."

"You don't need to be. I won't let him hurt you or Carlie. Ever," Edward replied seriously and I gently palmed his cheek, pressing a soft lingering kiss to his lips before looking back to the screen of my laptop.

Another message from Jasper.

_**Jasper Whitlock**_

_I don't know what kind of fucked up mind game you and lover boy are up to, but I'm not playing along. Fuck you and have a nice life._

I knew it couldn't wait any longer. I needed to get the message to him before he unfriended me, since it was obvious I wasn't going to be able to do it as close to in-person as I could, with him halfway across the country.

_**Isabella Swan**_

_Carlie is yours, Jasper._

The words were painful to type, and even more so to send, but it was done. Edward pulled me to sit on his lap as I started taking calming breaths, determined not to cry. I knew the words didn't change anything that truly mattered—I loved Edward and he loved me, and we both loved Carlie. She would _always_ be more Edward's than Jasper's, and Carlisle's words circled through my mind again. _Love isn't biological_, and that bond between Edward and Carlie as father and child was unbreakable.

My phone suddenly chimed beside us and I glanced over to it—a new text from an unknown number with a 682 area code. However, I didn't need to look it up or even ponder for a moment who it was with the words inside.

_That's really fucking low, even for a skank like you. If your baby daddy isn't hacking it, that's your problem, not mine. Should've kept your legs closed._

I dropped my phone into my lap and clenched my fists, my jaw tight in anger, and I could tell from the slow breaths through his nose that Edward was also barely reining himself in. Jasper's words were meant to be acidic and hurtful, but instead, it only fueled my need to get it over with—I wasn't hurt, I was _pissed_.

_You're right, I should have. Since there's only ever been one person between them EVER. _

A soft gasp behind me forced me to look at the message I had just sent. I groaned and shook my head, tears starting to form in my eyes. "I didn't mean it like that."

"I know," he whispered, his arms tightening around me.

"It should've been you, never him. But –"

"I know what you meant and you're just angry." From the tone of his voice, he was, too.

My hand came to my chest, rubbing against my breastbone. Nothing in the world could ever make me regret having my daughter. I loved her more than anything in my life, and I'd never been happier than I was with Edward and the family we'd made with the three of us. But Jasper always brought out the worst in me; just remembering a few of our fights from when we were together was enough to set my blood boiling, even nearly a year after our relationship ended.

Within seconds of sending that text, my phone began to ring, and before I could utter a single word upon answering, Jasper started in.

"Bella, _everyone_ knows you were fucking around on me with that so-called best friend of mine. All of Forks fucking knows it, with the way you've been up there playing house with him. So don't try pinning that little bastard of yours on me. I _know_ she's not mine. You got your fucking period, remember?" he snarled, his tone full of vitriol, and I stood from Edward's legs with white-hot fury raging through me.

"You wouldn't get off my fucking case about it, so I told you I did to shut you up!" I hissed through clenched teeth, angry tears welling in my eyes. "Pretty damn convenient that, after the one time we have sex without protection, I miraculously give birth nine months later. You don't believe it, take the paternity test. DNA doesn't lie. And say whatever you want to or about me, but don't you _ever_ call my daughter a bastard again."

My entire body was shaking as I spoke, but everything stilled as if an arctic wind shot through the room, rendering everything frozen as Edward stood abruptly beside me. He whipped his glasses off, tossing them onto the table, and his eyes were the deepest jade I'd ever seen them, nearly blending with his pupils. His neck was taut and the vein in his forehead began protruding. I'd _never_ seen him that way—he was furious.

"Mother fucker," Edward snarled and took my phone from me, and in the span of the first ten seconds as he told Jasper what we wanted from him, I heard more profanity leave his lips than I had collectively in ten _years_. I was so relieved that my mother had calmed significantly in the days since we'd told her about Carlie, and she had taken the baby for the evening.

Even I was a little bit afraid of Edward's anger at that moment; I couldn't imagine seeing it through a two month old infant's eyes. And I would hate to have seen anything jeopardize the security she felt with him, but I'd vocalized the worst thing I possibly could have in front of Edward.

"You leave them _both_ out of this, and you fucking listen for once. It's _my_ turn. I never fucking touched her. And it still amazes me to this day that you'd take the word of Heidi fucking Adams over your best friend. You never asked me about it, you just assumed and punched me without any proof, and dumped your pregnant girlfriend in the middle of a goddamn parking lot. Trust me, if I'd thought I had even a miniscule chance with Bella, _I_ would have been the one dating her and _would_ have been Carlie's real father. And God, I fucking wish I was, because she is an amazing, _beautiful_ little girl, and _you're_ the one that's fucking missing out," Edward yelled so loudly that even his mother had made her way down the stairs, gazing at him with wide eyes. "You don't want to step up and claim her, that's fine by me. Do us all a favor and get the goddamn paternity test done and sign the fucking papers. I don't want your child support or any more of your time than it will take to swab your cheek and swipe a pen along a line. I only want _my_ daughter. Because you sure as hell don't deserve her."

My shaking hands came up to cover my nose and mouth as unbidden tears slipped down my face and I stood there stunned. Edward had _never _stood up to Jasper before in all the time I'd known them. He'd been talked down to, punched, screamed at, made fun of, and he'd just laid back and taken it every single time. Edward had changed a lot since becoming a father, but that was, by far, the most staggering difference I'd witnessed.

Edward hung up the phone and tossed it on the table, clutching his hair tightly on either side of his head and growling in frustration. The action pulled me abruptly from my daze and I hurried over to him, taking his face between my hands and trying to get him to look at me. "I'm an idiot. I'm a goddamn _fucking _idiot. He's such a pompous, arrogant asshole. She's a _baby_. An innocent _child_. And he talks about her like she's…"

"Shh, it's okay," I hushed him, attempting to calm him and slow his breathing, finally brushing my lips against his to stop him from muttering. "Edward, you said it yourself. _He's_ the one missing out. It's not worth getting all worked up over like this. She's better off without him, right?"

Edward's eyes came to meet mine and they were hard as stone. I almost shrunk back from him until it appeared as if something snapped inside him and his body began to tremor slightly, his shoulders falling. "He won't sign."

I froze but still held his face in my hands as he began repeating apologies to me over and over, trying to lower his head. "What do you mean?"

"He said…that if the paternity test confirms that he's the father, he'll see us in court," Edward continued, bringing his eyes back up to mine with tears flowing freely down his face. "He won't sign over his rights. God, Bella, I'm so sorry."

I stood perfectly still as he sank to his knees in front of me, wrapping his arms around my waist and crying into my stomach, and my eyes met his mother's. She appeared so torn and heartbroken, watching her child fall apart and knowing that she was the last person he would ever want to comfort him anymore, with as strained as things had been between them. Just her coming over in the evenings to visit with Carlisle was enough to send Edward up to his room and closing the door behind him. I brought my hand to his hair and stroked it gently in silent reassurance that I would take care of him, and she nodded, turning to head back up the stairs.

Once I heard the door close upstairs, I brought myself down level with Edward, but he turned his head further away from me. "Why the _fuck_ did I have to do that? I just couldn't keep my mouth shut. I fucking instigated him!"

"Edward," I said, but he still wouldn't look at me, so I tried again. "Baby?"

Edward finally stilled at the whispered word I'd never uttered before to him, slowly turning his head to look at me. "Why would you call me that now?"

I brushed away one of the wet trails on his cheek and brought my lips to his tear-softened ones, kissing him gently and sliding my arms around him. "Because I love you, Edward. I don't blame you for this, so please stop apologizing. I've never loved you more or been more proud of you." He looked away disbelievingly and I brought my hands to his face again, holding him still. "You were defending and protecting what is yours. Your family. And _you_ are part of that family, and you were standing up for yourself. There is _no_ shame in that. You were being a man _and_ a father."

"We could lose Carlie because of me. He could take her away from us. He's her father. Blood outranks a name on a birth certificate, and love, for that matter," Edward replied, his voice growing more distraught with every word again. "I love her so much, Bella. If he took her…"

"He _won't_. No matter what, _I _am still her mother, and I won't let _anyone_ take her away from her father, okay? I promise you," I said as steadily as I could while staring into his gut-wrenching eyes and watched as his body curled forward to lower his head onto my lap.

A sharp knock came to the front door and I looked up, relieved when Carlisle made his way downstairs to answer it so I could remain where I was, holding and comforting Edward. I was surprised, however, when it was my father who entered the house, with concern etched on his features as his eyes found me. "Your mother called me at work, said she heard some bad yelling over here. Everything all right?"

I pressed my lips together as his gaze moved to Edward with a hint of suspicion. I shook my head, guiding the sobbing man in my lap with me onto the couch and hugging him to my chest, running my fingers through his hair. "We got in touch with Carlie's father. And he won't sign the papers."

My dad's expression shifted again as his eyes moved again from me to Edward, whose arms clung around my waist tightly in response. "Is that so?"

I merely nodded as I leaned forward, kissing the top of Edward's head while he attempted to hide his face in my shirt. I knew he was no doubt embarrassed to be seen crying in such a way by both of our fathers but there was no mistaking the heartbreak and fear, mixed with guilt, in his trembling form. "Nothing is going to happen, Edward. I promise."

My reiterated assurance only allowed him to relax minimally and my gaze moved across the room, where our fathers were murmuring amongst themselves. However, since I knew Carlie was still in good hands with my mother, I returned my focus to my _only_ concern at that moment, and that was Edward and attempting to calm him.

What seemed like moments later, I found myself waking to the sensation of a pair of hands shifting me. I opened my eyes to see Carlisle standing beside the couch, laying me down gently beside Edward. As he covered us over with a blanket, he leaned down to kiss my forehead and whispered, "Carlie is staying with your mother tonight. We didn't think Edward would want her to see him like this, and he needs you right now, Bella."

As if responding to his father's words, Edward's embrace tightened around me in his sleep and pulled my back into his chest more, his face buried in my hair. I closed my eyes again, resting my hand on his other arm, draped around my middle and sliding my fingers between his under the blanket. "I won't leave him, Carlisle."

* * *

**Yeah, ericastwilight called me several colorful names and I believe even birdflipped me after this, and cursed Jasper throughout most of it. I don't hate Jasper, as a rule. Canon Jasper, anyway. HONEST! The last few chapters of this should be posted over the next couple of days and there's only a few more. It's a very short story, as I said at the beginning, though it did turn out much longer than I'd originally intended because, well… I guess Bella had a lot to say. **

**See ya soon. :)**


	9. Chapter 8 Delivery for Isabella Swan

**A/N: And here we go… Your reactions to the last chapter were amazing, and I even got a good giggle out of several of them. So thank you so much for that. I wish I could sit down and reply to each and every one of you. You are all absolutely amazing. **

**As I said, I've finished writing this story already, and I'm giving the last two chapters a final read-though before I post them, but if all goes well *knocks on wood* the last two chapters after this should be posted by tomorrow, if not later tonight. Thank you all very much for reading and reviewing, and I'm so glad you are enjoying the story. Take care!**

* * *

**Chapter Eight—Delivery for Isabella Swan**

The weeks that followed were long and torturous, for me and especially, for Edward. Within days of that phone call, we were told that Jasper had been served and submitted to the petition for a paternity test, and we needed to provide a sample from Carlie. From that point on, I watched the strain increase with Edward, which thankfully, didn't have much effect on _our_ relationship.

However, my main concern was whether it would take a toll on the bond Edward and Carlie shared.

If anything, he only became more attached, to the point that I was almost worried that he was being overbearing.

He was hesitant to leave her, even to go to school the two days a week he still needed to. If he had to go to the store for so much as a gallon of milk, he'd take her with him for a "ride with Daddy". He started coming downstairs to my room again on the nights I still had her down there so he could study, even if she was sound asleep, just to stand beside her crib and look at her. He'd even taken to keeping her in the baby sling across his chest while he sat at his desk doing homework.

Edward simply could not bear to miss a moment with her, fearful of what would happen once the results inevitably confirmed that Jasper was her father. And then, it came a week later.

"Based on the DNA analysis, the alleged father, Jasper Whitlock, cannot be excluded as the biological father of the child, Carlie Cullen, because they share the same genetic markers. Probability percentile: 99.9938%."

That night, Edward took Carlie upstairs with him, and when I went to check on them an hour later, I found them both asleep on his bed, with her tiny body tucked against him and a pillow on the other side of her. I crossed the room slowly and moved it aside, carefully lying down next to them instead. He stirred awake when I touched his face and glanced over to me, and then down to Carlie, before closing his eyes again.

"Edward, what are you doing?" I whispered as I brushed his cheek lightly with the backs of my fingers. "She should be in her crib."

The arm he had around her tightened and he shook his head. "I just want her here with me for a little while."

"Baby, you're starting to worry me," I finally said, and his gaze returned to me. "She's not going to vanish. The worst that Jasper could do right now is come back to Washington for a hearing to contest it. He has _no_ grounds to try taking her away from me, so _you're_ not going to lose her, either. Do you understand?"

Edward's eyes closed again and his lips grew taut, but he nodded half-heartedly. "He didn't even want to admit that there was a _possibility_ that she was his. He's doing it out of spite, not for her. _Why_?"

"I don't know. But no matter what, she _does_ have one father who loves her. And we'll get through this," I said gently, trying to remain as calm and supportive as I could as I watched his face contort more with each word I spoke. "Now, I'm going to put her to bed so you can get some sleep."

Before I could move too far away, I felt his hand take mine to hold me there and I looked to him again to find him gazing back at me. "Please stay. Both of you."

I couldn't bring myself to refuse him and I rested my head back down onto the pillow, inches away from his face. He moved forward slowly, brushing his lips against mine as our hands came to rest on our child between us, and he murmured a soft "thank you" and closed his eyes. I turned my head over my shoulder to look to the door, making sure I left it open in case I fell asleep there beside them with the afternoon we'd had. And I was grateful I did, when Carlie began crying at three am, and all three of us were still in Edward's bed.

"I've got her," I whispered and began shifting off the bed, and he nodded as I took her into my arms.

"Wait," Edward's voice cracked sleepily behind me and I turned to find him standing up, stepping closer to me. He leaned down to kiss Carlie's forehead and then straightened to press his lips gently to mine as well. "It's my turn to thank _you_, Bella. I'm really sorry I've been so crazy lately."

I shook my head and offered him a smile. "Not really crazy. Just a daddy."

**x-x-x**

One week later, I woke up late after being awake a majority of the night before with Carlie, who'd been fussing an unusual amount. I walked out into the living room to find Edward with our daughter in one arm, and a large envelope in his other hand, staring at it blankly.

"Hey, what's up?" I mumbled groggily, still not completely awake, even when I looked to the clock above the television to see that it was nearly eleven.

Edward held the envelope out to me, drawing in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "It's from the court."

My heart leapt into my throat and stilled, and I was suddenly _wide _awake. I took shaky steps toward the couch and sat down beside him, taking the envelope from his hand. My gaze moved over the "Isabella Swan" in crisp, bold letters across the address line and I glanced over to Edward to find his eyes closed and his lips pressed to the top of Carlie's head.

Turning back to the item in my hands, I flipped it over and slid my finger beneath the seal to open it. I extracted the enclosed document and took a breath as I unfolded it, reaching over to take hold of my baby girl's little hand as I began to read. "Petition for Voluntary Termination of Parental Rights. In the interest of minor child, Carlie Renee Cullen, date of birth, November 18, 2011… oh my God."

My gaze shot over to Edward again to find both of his arms around the baby and his glossy eyes had risen to the ceiling. "He signed?"

I turned the paper toward him to show the sweeping signature of Jasper Whitlock on the bottom of the page. "It's almost over, Edward. She's yours."

Tears slipped down Edward's face as he closed his eyes when my lips brushed his gently and our foreheads met. "Thank you, Bella. God, I love you. And you," he paused, turning his gaze back to Carlie and lifting her from his chest to hold her up in front of him. "I'm your daddy, baby girl."

I smiled and leaned my head on his shoulder, pressing my lips to his arm. "You always have been, Edward."

He lowered her back to his chest and wrapped his other arm around me and kissed my hair. "I don't know what changed his mind and I don't care. We can be a real family now."

"Me either. I just … wait a second."

"What?" Edward asked after a moment, but I didn't respond.

I rose from the couch quickly and made my way to the front door, stepping outside in my pajamas and ran over to my parents' house. Jasper was _insistent_ on not signing over his rights if the paternity test confirmed he was the father; I _needed_ to know why.

"Dad?" I called out as I walked straight in, spotting him down the hall when he moved into the kitchen doorway.

"Bella. What's going on?" he asked with a worried brow, his eyes taking inventory of me as I moved toward him.

"What did you do?" I asked with narrowed eyes, holding the court document up to him.

My father's gaze shifted from my face to the paper, and then his eyes rose to mine again with a quirky grin on his face. "I don't know what you mean, princess. But that's good."

I gaped at him as he walked back toward the kitchen table casually, sipping at his coffee and sitting down. "_Dad_? Where were you _really _for those two days after we got that call from Jasper? And what did you _do_? It wasn't your place."

"Nothing that any father wouldn't have done in the best interest of his daughter and grandbaby," my dad replied unapologetically, his features extremely serious. "I just went and had a little chat with Mr. Whitlock and cleared some things up."


	10. Chapter 9 For Daddy's Little Girl

**Chapter Nine—For Daddy's Little Girl**

**Charlie POV**

I was livid, beyond anything I might have felt before I stepped into the Cullens' house that night. The past year had been a whirlwind of experiences, barely giving me a moment to breathe and take it all in. One of the worst things a father can hear from his seventeen year old daughter is "Daddy, I'm pregnant." My world came crashing down around me that day—not only was my little girl pregnant, but the young man I had trusted with her the most was claiming to be the father.

However, even with as angry as I was at him for deceiving me and my wife, and his own parents as well, a part of me admired him, though I'd be damned if I would have admitted it. Most teenage boys would have run for the hills after something like that, especially when it was the daughter of the Chief of Police that he'd gotten pregnant. Yet, he sat there beside her, holding her hand and facing the consequences right along with her.

It was so difficult to watch Bella suddenly need and rely on someone else so much; I thought I had more time. I had only just been starting to dread her graduating from high school and sending my baby off to college. I had no idea how I was going to handle letting her go in _that_ way; letting her go sooner for any other reason had _never_ crossed my mind. I was lost and didn't know what to do. I couldn't force them to get married; she was only seventeen, for heaven's sake. I would never put my daughter through an abortion, even if I didn't feel she was ready to be a mother, or him a father.

Yet, the boy impressed me even more throughout Bella's entire pregnancy, being there for every need and want of hers, while still balancing school in a whole other city and maintaining his exceptional GPA. He and my daughter functioned _very_ well as a team, with her working around his school schedule so he could be present for everything, and his eagerness to be there, without a single complaint. And as a father myself, I couldn't miss the elation in the young man's features when they informed us that Bella was having a little girl, or how in love he was with that baby even before she was born. Since then, he had become everything I could have even hoped for with my daughter and granddaughter.

Extremely attentive to Bella, a doting and devoted father to Carlie—he became a _man_.

So when they came to us days before and told us that Edward was, in fact, _not_ Carlie's biological father, I felt deceived all over again. I couldn't understand why my daughter, and Edward as well, would _lie_ about such a thing. I was so angry, I had to leave the room while Renee continued to talk to them.

Standing in the kitchen, I could hear Bella's tears in her voice as she repeatedly apologized for lying, and the sincerity in Edward's as he did the same. They wouldn't say who the father actually was, which made me even _more_ angry, even with the explanation that they wanted to be able to tell _him_ first. I wanted to know who he was and why he wasn't told in the beginning, before dragging an innocent boy in to sort out the situation he left behind, but I couldn't look at either of them that night.

I loved my daughter and my granddaughter, and if I had been thinking with a clearer mind at that moment, I would have seen Edward's gesture for what it actually was. A friend helping another friend through a very difficult period in her life, and being everything she and her little girl needed.

I was just too damn angry at the time.

However, the moment I received that phone call at the station from Renee, telling me that she could hear what sounded like Edward yelling from inside the Cullen home, my anger dissipated to fear. I knew my granddaughter was safe with my wife, but Bella was in that house and yelling was extremely uncharacteristic of the Edward I knew. He was one of the most soft spoken, polite and respectable young men I'd ever met, whom I'd never seen raise his voice even an octave to _anyone_ in the more than ten years we'd known him. I immediately jumped into my cruiser and drove like a bat out of hell back home, and ran straight to the Cullens' door.

The sight that met me was the last thing I had expected. Rather than the enraged young man I was sure I'd find with the description Renee had given me, I found one broken and sobbing, cradled in Bella's arms. What the _hell_ was going on?

Then, once Bella explained to me what had happened and I watched Edward curl into her with a soft, agonized groan, my anger returned—though not at them. Yet again, I was seeing Edward with father's eyes; what it would feel like for another man to have a legitimate claim on the daughter I loved more than life itself. Renee had told me—although I'd pretended not to be listening in my own mulish way—that Edward wanted full paternal rights to Carlie. His name was on the birth certificate and she'd been given the Cullen surname, he was with her every waking moment he could manage, but he wanted to take on _everything_. To be her _only_ father.

The kid was terrified of losing _his_ daughter.

Carlisle pulled my attention away from the two of them with a hand on my shoulder and took me aside. "Charlie…"

"Carlisle, what the _hell_ is going on here?" I asked in a rough but hushed voice.

Carlisle took a deep breath, glancing toward the living room and then back to me. "I know it's really not my place to say anything, but I am sincerely worried about my son right now. I know who Carlie's father is, from everything I heard tonight."

My eyes widened and I gazed at him expectantly. "_And_?"

"It's Jasper," he replied and my fists began to clench at my sides. "Jasper Whitlock."

Whitlock. Of all the names Carlisle could have uttered to me, I couldn't imagine one that could have possibly been worse. That boy had been trouble for years, and I could never for the life of me figure out how such a good kid like Edward could have associated with him in any way. More than that, though, I couldn't understand how my daughter had allowed herself to be one of _those_ girls with someone like _that_.

However, this was an all-new low for him.

I glanced over to Bella one more time, holding that boy on the couch, and I felt my chest constrict. Not only for my daughter, but for Edward as well—my granddaughter's father. I couldn't even begin to imagine the pain he was in, and I couldn't stand by and watch it happen.

"He's down in Texas, right?" I murmured quietly to Carlisle and looked back at him to find him nodding.

"Yes. In Fort Worth," he replied just as quietly and stared back at me for a moment. "Are you sure about this?"

"I can't do _nothing_, Carlisle," I stated and we nodded again in silent agreement.

_No one_ was going to hurt our children or grandchild that way.

Once back at the station, it didn't take me long to track him down and acquire the necessary information. After I'd put in for an immediate leave for a "family emergency", I was on my way to the airport to catch a red-eye to Texas. As soon as I'd checked into a motel not too far away from the college, I made my way to the address I had on the front of the folder I carried, knocking on Whitlock's door at seven in the morning.

When it swung open, a disheveled and shirtless Jasper appeared and his eyes widened at the sight of me. "Chief Swan? What are you doing here?"

"I think you and I _both_ know the answer to that question, Whitlock," I replied sternly, my gaze running over him with a sneer. "Perhaps you would like to take a moment to get yourself decent and then you and I are going to sit down and have a little chat."

Jasper nodded nervously and stepped back to let me in, and hurried off to his bedroom. He returned a few minutes later, fully dressed. "Sir, with all due respect, if this is about my supposed kid, I know my rights."

"I'm sure you do," I said stiffly and crossed the room to sit on his ragged couch. "But tell me something. What's in it for you? That little girl has two parents who love her very much. Are you really prepared to disrupt that and take on being a father?"

"_If_ that is my kid, which I'm sorry, but I still highly doubt, he has _no_ right to call himself her father," Jasper growled menacingly, but when I fixed him with a hard glare, his demeanor shifted, as if he'd momentarily forgotten who he was talking to.

"Then where were you for all the doctor's appointments and sonograms? Why weren't _you_ there with her, holding her hand when she gave birth to your daughter? Or for all the midnight feedings and diaper changes since she's been born?" I asked, folding my arm over my chest.

"Kinda difficult to be there for a child I didn't even know I had. She never told me it was my kid. She told _everyone_, including you, her father, that it was _his_ baby. What reason did I have not to believe that? Everyone knew how close they were," Jasper answered defensively.

"Did you have sex with my daughter?" I inquired pointedly, even though just the thought that he had touched Bella in such a way, or that _anyone_ had for that matter, turned my stomach. His eyes widened again and he swallowed hard, nodding nervously. "Then what reason did you have _not_ to question it at all? You took it at face value, heard what you wanted to hear, and went on your merry way. If you had _any_ interest in that little girl at all, you wouldn't have brushed it off and let another boy— whose name is _Edward_, by the way, not _him_— uproot his entire life and take on the responsibility that was _yours_ to take. No matter what claim she made, which was equally as wrong, but she's atoned for that and come clean. You still need to."

"Well, if she _is_ mine, then he doesn't need to do that anymore," Jasper replied, his eyes flickering as he obviously fought to hold my gaze.

"Great. So you're prepared to pick up tracks and head back to Washington, then? Get a job and start paying child support? Give up the partying and dates on the weekends to spend them with your daughter?" I said, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees. "Or are you going to stop playing this game with them, and allow that little girl to be raised by a man who actually _wants_ her? Who loves that baby _and_ her mother. And who _doesn't _have the history _some_ do with young girls."

Jasper stiffened again, clenching his fists and shaking his head. "That was well over a year ago, Chief Swan."

"And were you dating Bella behind my back at that time? How would she react if I told her I found you in the back seat of your car that night with _fifteen year old_ Alice Brandon in your lap?" I replied in a fierce tone, my gaze boring down on him harshly. "I may have had my hands tied at the time because I only caught you kissing, and that child and her parents refused to press charges because nothing 'technically happened'. But this is _my_ daughter, and we have _proof_ in the form of a beautiful little girl to prove that something _did_ happen between you, an adult, and her, a minor, at the time."

"You can't do that," Jasper whispered, his attempt at sounding confident failing miserably.

"Try me," I said with a tense jaw. "_This_ is what it means to be a father. You'll do and risk _anything_ to protect and defend your child. You want to prove you're a man? Stop thinking about yourself and consider for a _moment_ what's in the best interest of that baby girl. And that is _Edward_. He loves her more than life itself. You can't say that. You don't even want to admit she's _yours_."

I stood, tossing the folder onto the small table in front of me that contained the forms he would need for the future steps I hoped he'd make, and I told him such.

"I hope you make the right decision, Whitlock."

_**Bella POV**_

"Dad, why? He should have come to that decision on his own," I said, pressing my palm to my forehead.

"He would have anyway, Bella. I've seen guys like him before. All he wanted to do was scare the both of you into backing down, and by threatening Edward that way, he knew it was a sure fire way to do that. Hell, he probably only did it because he was angry that Edward finally stood up to him. It had nothing to do with Carlie at all," he replied, his jaw set firmly. "I know you think I was an overzealous parent, and for _that, _I am sorry. But I won't apologize for protecting my family. And as far as I'm concerned, Edward is part of this family. It takes more than being a biological donor to be my granddaughter's father. And I will _never_ be witness to the scene I was that night. Nor could I watch it go on any longer than necessary. Edward didn't deserve that, and Whitlock would have dragged it out as long as he could possibly get away with."

I stared at my father as if I were seeing him for the first time, after listening to his impassioned speech. I was in complete shock. "I thought you hated him now."

My dad shook his head and his eyes lowered to his coffee. "I was disappointed in you both. I never thought in my wildest dreams that either of you would lie to us about something like this. But seeing that boy in a state like that, I finally understood…mostly."

"You did?" I asked, folding my arms around myself as he nodded.

"He's loved that baby since long before she was born, and you, for even longer," my dad replied, lifting his eyes again to meet mine. "He did it with the best of intentions at heart, because you meant that much to him. And _no_ man loses his mind like that over a child that is nothing more than an obligation for him. He is a _good_ man with a _good_ heart. How could I hate him or fault him for that? He's the best thing a father could ask for when it comes to his daughter and grandchild."

My lip was pinched so tight between my teeth to keep from crying, it was beginning to burn and tingle from the pressure. I didn't trust myself to speak for a moment, so I just closed the distance between us and lowered myself to sit in his lap, hugging him around the shoulders. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you, too, baby," he whispered against my hair and my arms tightened around him. "Now, go on. Get back to my grandbaby and that young man."

I nodded, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand before siting up and looking at him. "Thank you, Daddy."

"Yep," he replied and I couldn't help but smile as I watched the twitch of his eye and mustache at the hint of mushiness in my tone.

Some things never change, but then he wouldn't be the Charlie Swan I'd loved and respected all my life.

I returned home, still wiping my eyes as I walked into the living room, where Edward was pacing back and forth with Carlie. She was whimpering against his chest as he attempted to soothe her and then his eyes rose to meet my gaze.

"Everything okay?" Edward asked, his forehead creased in concern.

I smiled back at him, making my way to his side and embracing them both. Edward's arm wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me closer to his side and kissing my hair. And it seemed that as soon as Carlie had both of her parents calm and relaxed in her presence, she began to quiet, too. "Yeah. Everything is perfect."


	11. Chapter 10 Epilogue

**A/N: And so comes the end of another story. As always, I'm a little sad to say goodbye to another pair of characters, especially a Daddyward like this, but I still have much more to write. Thank you once again for reading and your lovely responses. It's been an amazing distraction from RL for the last few weeks. Thank you to ericastwilight for all the help and encouragement she's given me for this story, even when she wanted to reach through the phone and strangle me, and the chapter titles. She really is my better half in writing. :)**

**Hope to see you all again soon. Off to do more writing now. **

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**Chapter Ten—Epilogue**

_One year later_

"Come on, baby. Just one little step. You can do it," I said encouragingly as I stood behind Carlie, her tiny hands wrapped around my index fingers. She bounced on her unsteady legs, thrusting her body forward three times before tumbling back on her butt.

At fourteen months and a half months, Carlie was still not walking at all, and Edward was really getting concerned. No matter how many books he read or what the pediatrician told us, he was really worried that something could be wrong. I, on the other hand, believed that she had simply inherited her Grandpa Swan's stubborn streak. In almost every way, she was a relatively easy baby, very laid back most of the time and had only wrapped her daddy around her littlest finger more every single day from the second she was born.

However, if she didn't want to do something, be it eating her vegetables at dinner, going down for her nap, or taking her first step, by heaven, she was _determined _to have her own way. Edward was far more relenting that I was; one tiny lip quiver from his little girl, and he was putty in her hands. He was moving slowly toward becoming more firm with her, but it was definitely _not_ going to be an overnight process.

Oh yes, our daughter knew _exactly_ how to work over her daddy. And in a strange way, his weakness when it came to her only made me fall in love with him more every single day.

It hadn't been _entirely _smooth sailing between me and Edward, as relationships rarely are. We'd had our share of arguments, but we never stayed angry for more than a few hours before one or both of us would end up apologizing and making up.

Our living arrangements didn't make things much easier, however necessarily they were for the time being. Edward was only in his fourth semester in college, with two more years to go before he got his BA in computer science, and I was working part time as a waitress at the diner, so that one of us was always home with Carlie. The idea of putting her in daycare that young, if it was avoidable, didn't sit well with us or her grandparents, nor could we afford it or to support ourselves on only one income. And we definitely didn't want to burden our parents with watching her all the time, even though they insisted that they wouldn't mind. She was _our_ daughter, and _our_ responsibility. We felt bad enough then they insisted on taking her for an evening now and then when Edward was home and I didn't have to work, so that we could go out to dinner or something together for a date night.

We were both grateful to Carlisle for being as supportive as he still was, even despite the friction that remained between Edward and his mother, which intensified slightly when she moved back in with us. He was well aware of his son's feelings on the matter, and understood them. Just because he had chosen to forgive Esme didn't mean that Edward would be so quick to, when it tore their family apart. He allowed us to remain under their roof, with only minimal expectations; help in financially supporting our daughter, that Edward keep his grades up and finish his degree, and we also maintain separate bedrooms, despite our engagement the summer before. Carlisle Cullen was an amazing man, but he _really_ didn't want to think about, hear, or accidently be witness to his son's sexual activity. But it was actually Edward that was having the most issue with sneaking around behind his father's back, in the next room no less, to have sex. Moreover, he didn't want our first time together to be some hurried, 'get it while you can' moment.

So we kept our intimate contact at a tame level in the presence of Edward's parents, particularly his father, out of respect. Holding hands, chaste kisses, and the occasional cuddling on my bed while we watched a movie with Carlie at night—still with the door open.

But _God_, was it difficult. We were young and in love, and that didn't go without the physical desire for each other. Neither of us could imagine having to hold out until we were on our own and/or married before the need to _satisfy_ that desire became too great. We'd gotten carried away on several occasions, but never beyond some intense kissing and grinding, and _never_ losing even a single item of clothing before we were interrupted by something—whether it was Carlie needing us or parents coming home.

The first opportunity we really had, came in September the previous year. Carlisle and Esme had decided to remarry, much to the lingering discontent and wariness of their son, and had gone on a week-long cruise in the Caribbean for their second honeymoon.

Edward and I had been together for eight months and engaged for six weeks by then, and we'd fought so hard not to give in to our impulses in that time. Yet, I was still sure that I would go crazy if I didn't feel him touch me soon in any way that involved real skin-to-skin contact. And even Edward was starting to really get antsy. I knew his respect for his father ran deep, and he would never feel entirely comfortable doing something like that with him right upstairs, or worse, right across the hall, despite the desire for me I felt from him whenever his body pressed against mine, and the difficulty it caused for both of us to ignore.

However, it seemed rendered impossible to resist any longer the moment we returned to the empty house after dropping them off at the airport that evening and got Carlie settled down for the night after her exhausting day.

Edward took my hand in the hallway outside the nursery, halting my progress toward the stairs and pulling me back to him. I felt his palm against my cheek and his lips met mine in a slow, passionate kiss, and I wrapped my arms around him, returning it with the same gentle fervor. "I don't want to wait anymore, Bella. I need you."

His breathless words against my lips sent a shiver down my entire body. I loved Edward so much and I knew he felt just as much for me, and this was an expression of that love. But we were also nineteen and twenty, respectively, and we had needs that any young couple would, and were desperate to meet. I _wanted_ him, and the evidence of how much he wanted me was becoming more prominent, pressing against my stomach. "I need you, too."

With one more kiss to my lips, he reclaimed my hand in his and led me across the hall, leaving his door open only a crack to hear Carlie if she woke. We stood facing each other beside his bed, his eyes holding mine as his fingers rose to begin unbuttoning his shirt. Taking his cue, I crossed my arms in front of me to lift my tank top up my torso and over my head, and we both dropped the garments to the floor simultaneously.

We were revealing ourselves completely to the other for the first time, willingly surrendering our bodies to one another at last. And we were in no rush.

Our shoes and jeans followed and we stared at each other as he stood there in his undershirt and boxers, and me in my bra and panties. It was the moment of truth, and I began to feel nervous as his chest was bared to my view.

And then it was my turn.

Edward must have noticed my hesitance, and his hand rose again to my cheek, tracing my skin lightly with his fingertips. "Bella, if you're not sure…"

I took a deep breath and shook my head, reaching back to unclasp my bra and allowing it to fall slowly from my shoulders to the floor. "I've never been more sure of _anything_ since the day I said I'd marry you."

Edward closed his eyes and rested his forehead against mine, sliding his arms around my waist. "You know how much I love you, no matter what, right?"

"Yes, and I love you, too," I whispered, ghosting my lips over his before reaching down and shedding my final article of clothing. "And I want you."

Edward followed suit, and once his boxers fell to the floor, our eyes remained closed as he slowly pulled me flush against him and kissed me with a soft, sweet moan. He lifted my feet from the ground and turned us to lay me down on the bed, but didn't join me right away. His eyes ran over the length of my body and I took a moment to do the same with him. When our gazes met, however, I shifted uncomfortably under his perusal. Until he took off his glasses and set them on the nightstand, climbing onto the bed beside me and covering our bodies with his blanket. "You are so beautiful, baby. I'll never figure out how I got so damn lucky."

I smiled and slid my arm around him, running my fingers along his back and up to his shoulder. The feeling of his body pressed to my side, his bare skin touching mine, was indescribable, but it wasn't enough; I needed him closer. I brought my other hand to curl around the back of his neck, guiding his lips to mine and brushing them with a soft kiss. "_I'm_ the lucky one, Edward. So damn lucky."

Edward's mouth claimed mine again and his soft touch ghosted down my arm and settling on my hip, tugging me gently onto my side toward him and his erection once again pressed against me. I draped my leg over his, causing us both to groan as his length glided along my warm, sensitive skin. "Bella, I've never done this without…"

I opened my eyes to gaze at him and watched his nostrils flaring with each of his heavy breaths. I knew he wasn't a virgin; hell, the whole _school_ knew that the day after Homecoming two years before, with the way Heidi touted about how awful he was in bed. It made me shudder to think of her touching him in any way, when she never appreciated him at all, or even _liked_ him, for that matter. I'd assumed he would have been more responsible than to go without protection, _especially_ with someone like her, but it still gave me a feeling of satisfaction that I would still be his first in _some_ way. It was a selfish thought, as he obviously wouldn't be mine, but it _was_ the first time I'd _wanted_ it that way. I wanted to feel _him_.

I slid my arms more securely around him and took his bottom lip between mine as I guided his body on top of me, rolling my hips against him when he settled between my legs. "It's okay."

"But what if I … you know … before you do," Edward asked nervously and finally opened his eyes to look at me.

I grazed my fingertips over his cheek, shaking my head with another smile. "It doesn't matter. I just want to feel you inside me. Please."

Edward kept hold of my hip as I felt him glide along me one more time before he began pressing into me slowly. The muscles of his back tightened and flexed beneath my hand and he held his breath, releasing it in a gust once he filled me and muttered, "Oh shit, Bella."

His entire body was trembling, as was mine, and my arms wrapped around him to hold him close to me. I brushed my lips on his collarbone as we both took a moment to adjust to the feel of our bodies joining for the first time. He fit inside me perfectly, and even after so long without, there was no discomfort. Only the pleasure of me and Edward, together with no barriers. "I love you so much, Edward."

I exhaled shakily as I spoke and he lifted his head to look at me. "Bella, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," I replied with a breathy chuckle, gazing up to meet his worried one. "Nothing at all. I'm glad we waited. I can't imagine anything better than this."

"Yeah?" he asked uncertainly, his eyes shifting between mine.

"Yeah, I really am," I answered softly, bringing my hands to either side of his face and lowering his lips to mine. "I don't want to rush this. But please move and let me feel you."

Edward swallowed hard as his hips pulled back and our gazes remained locked when he pressed forward again. My back curved off the bed and my fingers trailed down his neck to his shoulders, holding them tightly as he picked up a slow rhythm. His chest heaved against mine with each movement and he whispered his love for me along my jaw with soft kisses on my skin.

I was sure there would never be a moment that I could love him more than I did right then. He was so perfect for me in every way, and I couldn't imagine the feeling growing any stronger than that without my heart bursting. I already loved him so much, it hurt at times.

A strained groan from him brought all my focus back to his eyes, watching them close as he pressed his forehead to mine again. "Baby, I'm close."

I nodded, weaving one hand into his hair and tilting my head to kiss him, while my other arm wrapped around his shoulders to pull his chest more firmly to mine. I wasn't, but I meant it when I told him it didn't matter. Being with him in that way was better and more important than any orgasm I'd ever had. I tightened around him and watched his eyes pinch closed more and he began to pant heavily.

"Bella, don't. I can't … shit," he moaned, lowering his face to my neck and pressing his lips to my skin as I felt him pulse within me. His hips froze with a final thrust and his body settled over mine. I kissed along his jaw, up to his sweaty temple. "God, I'm sorry, baby."

"I'm not. And you shouldn't be, either," I whispered against his skin, my fingers twirling his damp hair. "This wasn't us just having sex and getting off."

Edward slowly lifted his head and raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Well, _one_ of us did."

His sarcastic expression made me laugh, and rather than ruin the moment as it could have, I wanted nothing more than to pull him closer. "Edward, I have never felt better in my life than I do right this minute. And it's not like this was our only chance at this. There's always next time. And the next … and the next."

My smile only grew as I peppered kisses on his lips after each statement, and his slowly joined it and he began responding to them. "So, you still want to marry me, then? You'll be stuck with me forever."

"More than ever. I can't wait," I replied and we melted together again and I felt him begin to harden inside me.

However, before the thought could cross our minds to indulge again, Carlie began to cough in the next room. And even though she remained asleep, we decided not to press our luck and laid there, holding each other with my head finally resting on his chest when we rolled over.

Spending that night in Edward's arms—and each night that Carlisle and Esme were away, despite _my_ parents frequent "checking in"—was amazing, although it did make the nights alone in my own bed afterward seem more cold and lonely than before. And so help me, I missed him so much.

Occasionally, when he'd brought Carlie back to my room after a middle of the night waking, he would slip into my bed behind me and slide his arms around me, kissing my neck, my cheek, and finally, my lips. I ached for him so badly, but where most couples with a child only had to worry about the "sleeping baby radar", we had parents who would stir the moment a single kiss got just a little deeper than intended. And once the creak of the floor sounded about us, it tended to dampen the mood and we knew it was fruitless, so we kissed goodnight and he headed back upstairs. But we managed and made the most of every opportunity we could find.

The back seat of his car was certainly the most … interesting, so to speak. We were _still_ trying to find a comfortable, least awkward way of accomplishing _that_ without twisted bodies or knocking my head into the roof.

"Honey, I'm home," Edward's teasing voice echoed from the entryway, abruptly pulling me from my thoughts and I looked to him with a smile. It was Tuesday, one of his days that he still had to drive to Seattle for class, and didn't get home until just about Carlie's bedtime. I always kept her up long enough to see him, but I was just as happy to as well. "Hey, you. Still giving Mommy trouble, little girl?"

"Yeah, but I got her to stand on her own for a few seconds today," I replied, helping her up to her feet again and she wobbled unsteadily. "Come on, sweetie. One little step before we get you ready for bed?"

Edward entered the room a little further and set his school bag on the floor, kneeling down a short distance away and holding his hands out. "Can I get a kiss goodnight, baby?"

Carlie's head lifted to gaze directly at him, a soft gasp escaping her. After one more bounce, she lifted her right leg and took one small step forward, and both Edward and I held our breaths. Slowly, her fingers uncurled from around mine as she made another, wobbling a little before trying again.

Edward watched her with an awed smile stretching across his lips, reaching his arms out and readying himself to catch her if she fell, until she reached him.

"Daddy!"

The whole world could have completely stopped turning in that moment, and neither of us would have noticed. Edward looked to me as he lifted her into his arms, making no other movement for several seconds. "I'm not dreaming. Did she just…she did, right?"

I could only nod as tears clouded my vision. Carlie had been babbling in her adorable baby gibberish from pretty much the moment she learned she _could_. Simple 'mama', 'baba', and even 'dada'. Yet, although we'd sat and worked with her on many nights, she'd never before correlated any person or object with what she was saying. But she'd been looking right at him…taking her first steps and walking to him… "She said Daddy."

Edward hugged her to him, pressing his lips to her hair as he stood and made his way over to me, kissing me gently. "She walked and called me 'Daddy'."

As he wrapped his arm around me as well, he held us both and a soft chuckle escaped him. I looked up to find a damp ring around his eyes, his lashes beginning to cling to each other with the forming tears he was attempting to hold back.

"God, that was the most amazing feeling I've had since the day she was born," Edward whispered, resting his chin on top of my head while I gazed at our little girl with her face pressed to her daddy's chest. "She doesn't have to go to bed _just_ yet, does she?"

I lifted my eyes to look up at him and he stared back at me imploringly. "Edward…"

"Please? Just five or ten minutes?" he asked in a gentle, pleading tone, tightening his arms around me and Carlie.

I couldn't deny him something as simple as a few more minutes with her after being separated all day, and especially at a moment such as that. So I nodded, kissing him gently. "Okay. I'll go heat up your dinner first, but then she _needs_ to go to bed."

Edward smiled, pressing his lips to my forehead and murmuring a soft "thank you", and then pulled away to carry her over to the couch.

I made my way to the kitchen, taking one more glance back at them and listening to Edward speak so lovingly to her as she stood on his lap. It melted my heart all over again.

I had everything I could ever need or want in my life. A man who loved me so unconditionally, and although it still seemed forever away, he would be my husband, best friend, and lover for the rest of my life. We had a beautiful daughter and the fact that he wasn't her biological father was _never_ discussed anymore; Edward was her _daddy_ in every single way that mattered, and she was his world. And I had no fear that if we had another child together somewhere down the road, that it would ever change anything.

Carlisle was right; love _isn't_ biological. We were, and always would be, a _family_.

_The End  
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**A/N 2: One of my reviewers pointed out that there might be some confusion as to Edward's degree in college, and that I may have made a typo. He is actually going for his Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science, rather than a Bachelor of Science. I apologize if there was any confusion concerning that. **_  
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